What does reamed mean?
Reamed is the past tense and past participle of the verb “ream,” with its meaning depending on context. In engineering and metalworking, a reamer is a tool used to enlarge and finish a cylindrical hole to a precise diameter, removing small amounts of material and improving the accuracy and finish of the bore. Saying that a machinist “reamed” the hole therefore indicates a careful finishing operation rather than rough drilling. In printing, bookbinding, and paper handling, “ream” originally referred to a quantity of paper, commonly 500 sheets in the traditional US system or 480 sheets in the traditional British system. In that setting, “reamed” can mean that paper was divided into such quantities, while the colloquial sense can mean that someone used a very large amount of paper. The technical meaning is precise and established; the paper-related expression is more informal and depends heavily on context.
To enlarge and finish a cylindrical hole or bore with a reamer.
"The piston was reamed to an exact size before it entered the cylinder."
A technical manufacturing term; the operation removes a small, controlled amount of material to achieve accurate size and finish.
To divide paper into reams, or informally to use or handle a large quantity of paper.
"The pressroom reamed the paper before sending it to the bindery."
The sense of dividing paper is specialized, while the sense of using a great deal of paper is informal.
One neat piece of engineering can make a hole perfectly round, smooth, and ready for a precision-fit shaft.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reamed come from?
The verb “ream” in the paper sense is recorded from the early 19th century and is probably related to an older term for a quantity or bundle of paper. Its exact ultimate origin is uncertain. The technical verb is based on “reamer,” a cutting tool whose name comes from an earlier English sense associated with boring or enlarging holes.
Related word forms
How reamed is actually used
The technical sense is common in machining and manufacturing. The paper-related sense is informal or occupational and is now less frequent in general use.
Easily confused with reamed
In modern technical usage, “reamed” usually describes a hole that has been finished with a reaming tool; in printing and paper contexts, it describes paper that has been divided into reams.
“Reamed” refers to boring or machining a hole, whereas “dreamed” is the past tense of “dream.”