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cram

(krăm)

v. crammed, cram·ming, crams

v.tr.

1. To force, press, or squeeze (something) into an insufficient or barely sufficient space; stuff.

a. To feed a large amount of food to (an animal).

b. To fill (oneself or one's stomach, for example) with food.

v.intr.

1. To move into and fully occupy a space: The students crammed into the tiny classroom.

2. To study hastily for an impending examination: was up all night cramming for the history midterm.

Hasty study for an imminent examination.

[Middle English crammen, from Old English crammian; see ger- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

crammer n.

Cram

(krăm), Ralph Adams 1863-1942.

American architect and critic who championed the Gothic style as a vital mode in modern architecture. His best known design is that for the still-unfinished Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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