I. ˈkram, -raa(ə)m verb
( crammed ; crammed ; cramming ; crams )
Etymology: Middle English crammen, from Old English crammian; akin to Old High German krimman to press, Old Norse kremja to squeeze, Latin gremium lap, Sanskrit grāma multitude, pile, village, Latin grex herd — more at gregarious
transitive verb
1. : to fill especially forcibly with more than is necessary or appropriate : pack tight : load to overflowing : jam
cram a suitcase with clothes
a crammed schedule
a novel crammed with surprises
2.
a. : to fill with food to satiety : overfeed , stuff ; especially : to feed forcibly in order to fatten (poultry) either through a tube inserted into the crop or by thrusting long strips of dough down the gullet by hand
b. : to eat voraciously or clumsily : bolt
rebuke a child for cramming his food
3. : to thrust, jam, or drive in or as if in a rough, clumsy, willful, or unsuitable manner
he crammed the letters in his pocket
cram lies down another's throat
4.
a. : to put (a person) hastily through a course of memorizing especially in preparation for an examination
b. : to study (a subject) under pressure
cram physics for the final examination
intransitive verb
1. : to eat greedily or to satiety : stuff
2. : to study intensively or under pressure especially for an examination — often used with up
cram up on mathematics
Synonyms: see pack
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a compressed multitude or crowd : crush
there was such a cram in the church that the procession had almost to fight its way to the high altar — Bruce Marshall
2. : studying or instructing under pressure or limitations of time especially for a coming examination
he got through his senior year finally by sheer cram
students attending cram courses before their exams
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: German, Swedish, Danish & Norwegian kram trifles, small wares, rubbish; German, from Middle High German krām stretched out cloth, tent covering, merchandise booth, from Old High German crām market booth; Swedish, Danish & Norwegian, from Middle Low German krām market booth, tent covering, small wares; akin to Middle Dutch crāme, craem tent flap, market booth, small wares
dialect : anything unwanted or in the way : junk