ream
ream¹
Definition
ream (rēm)
noun
- a unit of measure for a quantity of paper: the quantity varies from 480 sheets (20 quires) to 516 sheets, depending on the manufacturer
- Informal a great amount
Etymology: ME rem < MFr raime < It risma < Ar rizma, bale, packet < razama, to pack together
ream²
Definition
ream (rēm)
transitive verb
- to enlarge (a hole) as with a reamer
- to enlarge the bore of (a gun)
- to countersink or taper (a hole)
- to remove (a defect) with a reamer
- ☆ to extract the juice from (a lemon, orange, etc.)
- to use a reamer on (a pipe bowl)
- ☆ Slang
- to cheat or deceive
- to scold; berate: often with out
Etymology: ME dial. remen < OE reman, akin to ryman, lit., to make roomy < base of rum: see room
ream
Usage Examples
Object
- hole: For cold rivets very tight fits are often provided by using reamed holes.
- language: CRITICAL ACCLAIM ' Woodrell alternates between reaming the language with a dry corncob and practicing a particularly skillful kind of literary cabinetwork.
Converse of object
- write: Over the following weeks, she wrote reams of words, pouring her feelings out onto the page.
- produce: Your architect will spend an enormous amount of time producing reams of drawings; they could be working with you for years.
- read: Earlier I stated that I have read reams of emerging church articles.
- take: However, to produce the Web site in a hard copy would take almost a ream of paper.
- have: If anyone can possibly explain why a practice should have reams of protocols on such issues as fraud - please do let me know.
- use: It is estimated that this uses a ream of paper every 2 days and 10 mins of staff time.
Adjective modifier
- endless: We will not supply endless reams of CVs for you to wade through.
- whole: By way of example, Robert Maas posed the question: was it wrong to steal a whole ream of paper from your employer?
- many: There are good ones and bad marginals but that is the subject of many more reams.
- more: Thus, subjecting us to yet more ream of apocrypha under the guise, no doubt, of God given prophesy.
Modifies a noun
- weight: The conversion between ream weight depends on the basis sheet size, to convert from ream weight to gsm use the following multipliers.
Modifying Another Word
- then: The Cylinder bores are then reamed out to the required size.
Preposition: of
- paperwork: I would much rather take full responsibility for what I'm doing myself, than have to put up with reams of compliance paperwork.
- paper: We would no longer have to plow through reams of paper to find out about the results of a certain member of staff.
- documentation: Many of these proposed specific boundaries or at least critiqued specific boundaries, in addition to producing maps and reams of other documentation.
- datum: She didn't notice the wall charts, diagrams and reams of data around her in the room.
- text: Compared to the older text books with their reams of text, this book forms a welcome relief.
- evidence: Saying that there is no evidence that Jesus claimed divinity can only be managed by ignoring reams of evidence, or by facile dismissal.
Browse dictionary entries near ream
- realty
- Realtor
- realpolitik
- realm
- Really Simple Syndication
- really
- realizing
- realized
- realize
- realization
- reamer
- reanimate
- reap
- reaper
- reappear
- reapportion
- reapportionment
- reappraise
- rear
- rear admiral
