Forms: 4 breem, brem, 4–7 breme, 5 breeme, 6–7 breame, 7– bream. [ME. breme, a. F. brême, in OF. bresme (med.L. bresmia), ad. Teutonic: cf. OS. bressemo (:—brehsmo), also with a, OHG. brahsema (whence med.L. braximus), MHG. brahsem, brasme, Ger. brassen, MDu. and Du. brasem:—WGer. brahsm- and brehsm-; perh. f. stem of brehwan to glitter, sparkle. (The word has no connection with BARSE.)]
1. The common name of a fresh-water fish (Abramis brama) called also Carp-bream, which inhabits lakes and deep water, and is distinguished by its yellowish color and the high arched form of its back. Also the genus (Abramis, family Cyprinidæ) to which this belongs, including also the White Bream (A. blicca) and other species.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 350. Many a Breem [v.r. brem, breme] and many a luce in Stuwe.
1462. Mann. & Househ. Exp., 561. My master putt into the said ponde, in grete bremes, xij.
1539. Act 31 Hen. VIII., ii. § 1. Pykes, breames, carpes, tenches, and other fysshes.
1616. Surflet & Markh., Country Farm, 506. If you intend the pond for Carpe or Breame.
1653. Walton, Angler, 174. The Bream … is a large and stately fish … long in growing.
1769. Pennant, Zool., III. 309. The bream is an inhabitant of lakes—or the deep parts of still rivers.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., I. I. 167. Look up and down … And note the bubbles of the bream.
2. Applied also to some acanthopterygious sea-fishes, of the genus Pagellus (family Sparidae), and genus Labrus (family Labridæ), as the Sea Bream (P. centrodontus), Spanish Bream (P. erythrinus).
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 578, in Babees Bk. (1868), 156. Carpe, Breme de mere, & trowt.
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Improv. (1746), 238. Breams of the Sea be of a white and solid Substance.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, vii. 16. There were cod, breams, silver-fish, and other kinds.
3. Comb. bream-backed: (of a horse) having a high ridged back.
1723. Lond. Gaz., No. 6190/7. Stolen … a sorrel Nag … bream back’d.
1834–43. Southey, Doctor, cxliii. (D.). He was not … hollow-backed, bream-backed, long-backed or broken-backed.
