bream

1 of 2

noun

ˈbrim  ˈbrēm 

plural bream or breams

1

: a bronze-colored European freshwater cyprinid fish (Abramis brama)

broadly : any of various related fishes

2

a

: any of various marine fish (family Sparidae) related to the porgy

called also sea bream

b

: any of various freshwater sunfishes (Lepomis and related genera)

especially : bluegill

bream

2 of 2

verb

ˈbrēm 

breamed; breaming; breams

transitive verb

: to clean (a ship's bottom) by heating and scraping

Examples of bream in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Small poppers and popping frogs mimic bream feeding on the flies better than any other bait on the market. —Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 6 June 2024

Both of these lures have a good chug to them and look just like a bream eating a mayfly. —Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 6 June 2024

Around Bream Beds Bass move in shallow during the bream spawn... —Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 9 May 2024

In the spring, these bream will move into shallow areas to spawn. —Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 9 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English breme, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German brahsima bream, Middle High German brehen to shine

Verb

probably from Dutch brem furze; from the use of burning furze in the cleaning

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1626, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bream

• sea bream

Kids Definition

bream

noun

ˈbrim,

ˈbrēm

plural bream or breams

1

: any of various freshwater fishes

especially : any of several sunfishes (as a bluegill)

2

: any of several saltwater fishes related to the porgy