bream

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun flesh of various freshwater fishes of North America or of Europe
  2. noun flesh of any of various saltwater fishes of the family Sparidae or the family Bramidae
  3. noun any of numerous marine percoid fishes especially (but not exclusively) of the family Sparidae

Etymology

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 (“bream”))), from Proto-Germanic *brahsmô, *brahsinō, *brahsmaz (“bream”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *brehwanaz (“shining, glittery, sparkly”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerek- (“to shine”) (see braid (verb)).

In classic literature

Synonyms

freshwater bream

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