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

However, the council pushed back, asking for reams of extra information in February and giving Dublin Airport six months to reply. —Paolo Confino, Fortune Europe, 13 June 2024

The recommendation from the Independent Rikers Commission follows its review of reams of contract documents for the $3.9 billion Queens jail and $2.9 billion Bronx jail made publicly available this week by the city Department of Design and Construction. —Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 19 May 2024

Verb

Doncic fouled out of the game with 4:12 reaming after getting called for a block on Jaylen Brown. —Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024

Kafka just survived a second season in which he was frequently reamed out, constantly second-guessed, marginalized and connected to one of the worst offenses in football. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 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"