bream
verbEtymology Compare broom, and German brennen (as in ein Schiff brennen).
bream
nounUK /bɹiːm/ · US /bɹɪm/
Etymology From Middle English breme, from Old French breme, bresme, braisme, brasme (whence French brème), from Frankish *brahsma, *brahsima (whence Dutch brasem), from Proto-West Germanic *brahsmō (whence Old High German brahsma, brahsmo, brahsina, brehsina (whence German Brasse, Brachse (“bream”))), from Proto-Germanic *brahsmô, *brahsinō, *brahsmaz (“bream”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *brehwanaz (“shining, glittery, sparkly”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerek- (“to shine”) (see braid (verb)).
1
A European fresh-water cyprinoid fish of the genus Abramis, little valued as food. Several species are known.
2
UK A species in that genus, Abramis brama.
3
An American fresh-water fish, of various species of Lepomis and allied genera, which are also called sunfishes and pondfishes.
4
A marine sparoid fish of the genus Pagellus, and allied genera.
- Derived terms
- black bream, bony bream, breamlike, carp bream, gilt-head bream, seabream, sea bream, silver bream, white bream