to ream

Examples

• All

• They just reamed them out at every which way possible.

• So I drilled this hole out with a fractional drill bit, but I am reaming it out with a number drill.

• I've got to clean out, excuse me, ream out the inside of this.

• The procedure may involve reamed or unreamed nails.

  Academic text (2007)

• "By morning, the holes had been bored and reamed out, just as the heavy wooden axles came off the treadle ladies.

  Fiction book (2001)

• She stood at the drainboard, reaming lemons.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Craftsmen in the Colonial Williamsburg Gunsmithing Program have recently found that by using replica hand tools, it is possible to ream a bore to diametral tolerances within 0.0005 inch.

  Academic text (2007)

• He used a special tool to ream out the edges of the pipe for a perfect seal.

• To ensure a smooth finish, make sure to ream the inside of the hole before installing the dowel.

Synonyms

B

to bore

vsto ream

1 4.9

To make a hole in something with a tool or with animal teeth

focuses on widening or cleaning an existing hole rather than creating it

G

to gimble

vsto ream

• Archaic

1 9.9

To make small holes in wood by hand

refers to the technical act of widening or cleaning holes in general usage

C

to counterbore

vsto ream

• Specialized

8.3

To make the top of a hole wider so a screw head sits below the surface

is a general widening or cleaning of a hole not only for screws

Antonyms

R

to reduce

∞ 1.6

To make something smaller in amount, size, or number

N

to narrow

65 2.1

Become less wide or make something less wide

How Wide

to ream

• Specialized

9.8

to bore

1 4.9

to drill

170 2.2

to pierce

110 3.5

Surface Forms

Etymology