bream

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

bream, n. [OE. breme, brem, F. brême, OF. bresme, of German origin; cf. OHG. brahsema, brahsina, OLG. bressemo, G. brassen. Cf. Brasse.].

•  A European fresh-water cyprinoid fish of the genus Abramis, little valued as food. Several species are known.  [1913 Webster]
•  An American fresh-water fish, of various species of Pomotis and allied genera, which are also called sunfishes and pondfishes. See Pondfish.  [1913 Webster]
•  A marine sparoid fish of the genus Pagellus, and allied genera. See Sea Bream.  [1913 Webster]

bream, v. t. [Cf. Broom, and G. ein schiff brennen.].

 To clean, as a ship's bottom of adherent shells, seaweed, etc., by the application of fire and scraping.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bream, n. (pl. same)
1 a yellowish arch-backed freshwater fish, Abramis brama.
2 (in full sea bream) a similarly shaped marine fish of the family Sparidae.

bream, v.tr. Naut. hist. clean (a ship's bottom) by burning and scraping.

Etymology

prob. f. LG: rel. to BROOM