bream

Meanings

Noun

• A European fresh-water cyprinoid fish of the genus Abramis, little valued as food. Several species are known.
• A species in that genus, Abramis brama.
• An American fresh-water fish, of various species of Lepomis and allied genera, which are also called sunfishes and pondfishes.
• A marine sparoid fish of the genus Pagellus, and allied genera.

Verb

• To clean (e.g. a ship's bottom of clinging shells, seaweed, etc.) by the application of fire and scraping.

Origin

• 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)), from Proto-Germanic *brahsmǭ, *brahsinō, *brahsmaz, perhaps from Proto-Germanic *brehwanaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerek- (see braid).
• Compare broom, and German brennen (as in ein Schiff brennen).