ream

1 of 2

noun

ˈrēm 

1

: a quantity of paper being 20 quires or variously 480, 500, or 516 sheets

2

: a great amount

—usually used in plural

reams of information

ream

2 of 2

verb

reamed; reaming; reams

transitive verb

1

a

: to widen the opening of (a hole) : countersink

b(1)

: to enlarge, shape, or smooth out (a hole) with a reamer

(2)

: to enlarge the bore of (something, such as a gun) in this way

c

: to remove by reaming

2

a

: to press out with a reamer

b

: to press out the juice of (a fruit, such as an orange) with a reamer

3

: cheat, victimize

4

: reprimand

—often used with out

reams out his players so severely

—Alexander Wolff

Synonyms

Noun

• abundance
• barrel
• basketful
• boatload
• bucket
• bunch
• bundle
• bushel
• carload
• chunk
• deal
• dozen
• fistful
• gobs
• good deal
• heap
• hundred
• lashings [chiefly British]
• lashins
• loads
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mountain
• much
• multiplicity
• myriad
• oodles
• pack
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plateful
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• pot
• potful
• profusion
• quantity
• raft
• scads
• sheaf
• shipload
• sight
• slew
• spate
• stack
• store
• ton
• truckload
• volume
• wad
• wealth
• yard

Verb

• beat
• bilk
• bleed
• cheat
• chisel
• chouse
• con
• cozen
• defraud
• diddle
• do
• do in
• euchre
• fiddle
• fleece
• flimflam
• gaff
• hose [slang]
• hustle
• mulct
• nobble [British slang]
• pluck
• rip off
• rook
• screw
• shake down
• short
• shortchange
• skin
• skunk
• squeeze
• stick
• stiff
• sting
• sucker
• swindle
• thimblerig
• victimize

Examples of ream in a Sentence

Noun

I have reams of paperwork to do before I can leave today

Verb

He got reamed in the press for his comments.

reamed a whole new generation of suckers with a variation of the Ponzi scheme

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The eight-part series will launch in a fortnight’s time on January 15 and feature a ream of celebrity guests and friends of Markle’s, along with her spouse. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2025

No longer do entrepreneurs have to go into a bank branch and bring reams of documents to apply for small business funding. —Rohit Arora, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Verb

His mentor, top opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, decided to reaming in hiding inside the country. —Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025

Plus, Rip got to ream out the poor preacher who suggested doing a prayer. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English reme, from Anglo-French, ultimately from Arabic rizma, literally, bundle

Verb

perhaps from Middle English *remen to open up, from Old English rēman; akin to Old English rȳman to open up, rūm space — more at room

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

ream

1 of 2 noun

ˈrēm 

1

: a quantity of paper that may equal 480, 500, or 516 sheets

2

: a great amount

—usually used in plural

reams of notes

ream

2 of 2 verb

: to shape, make larger, or smooth out with a reamer

Etymology

Noun

Middle English reme "a quantity of paper," from early French reme (same meaning), from Arabic rizma, literally, "bundle"

Verb

probably from Old English rēman "to open up"