cram
to fill (something) by force with more than it can easily hold.
to force or stuff (usually followed by into, down, etc.).
to fill with or as with an excessive amount of food; overfeed.
Informal.
to prepare (a person), as for an exam, by having them memorize information within a short period of time.
to acquire knowledge of (a subject) by so preparing oneself.
Archaic. to tell lies to.
to eat greedily or to excess.
to study for an examination by memorizing facts at the last minute.
to press or force accommodation in a room, vehicle, etc., beyond normal or comfortable capacity; crowd; jam: The whole team crammed into the bus.
Informal. the act of preparing for an exam by memorizing information within a short time period.
an excessively full state.
a dense crowd; throng.
Origin of cram
1Other words for cram
Other words from cram
- cram·ming·ly, adverb
- well-crammed, adjective
Words Nearby cram
Other definitions for Cram (2 of 2)
Ralph Adams, 1863–1942, U.S. architect and writer.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cram in a sentence
Collins said that most of her knowledge is from “here and there,” so there was no need to cram before the tournament.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush | Sujay Kumar | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFamilies of four and five cram into one-room shares without running water or reliable electricity.
Workers cram into company-owned dorms known as “man camps” or in trailers or tents.
If you cram that many scantily-clad people onto a beach in hot weather, things are likely to get ugly at some point.
Trying to cram that down into 250 words is fun and challenging.
William Breathes on Being America’s First Marijuana Critic | Melissa Leon | April 3, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
This is simpler than having to cram and then stand the racket of a competitive examination.
Still he clung to the little thistledown of hope that he should have plenty of time to cram it before the form were called up.
Eric, or Little by Little | Frederic W. FarrarThey cram as much fruit as they possibly can into their cheek pouches to take away and eat afterwards at their leisure.
The Animal Story Book | VariousIt would indeed be unreasonable to cram into a single genus both superior and inferior things.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3 | Plotinos (Plotinus)And the speaker subsided into thoughtful silence, and began slowly to cram his pipe.
Forging the Blades | Bertram Mitford
British Dictionary definitions for cram (1 of 2)
/ (kræm) /
(tr) to force (people, material, etc) into (a room, container, etc) with more than it can hold; stuff
to eat or cause to eat more than necessary
informal to study or cause to study (facts, etc), esp for an examination, by hastily memorizing
the act or condition of cramming
a crush
Origin of cram
1British Dictionary definitions for Cram (2 of 2)
/ (kræm) /
Steve. born 1960, English middle-distance runner: European 1500 m champion (1981, 1986); world 1500 m champion (1983)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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