Library / English Dictionary

RAM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: rammed    , ramming   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Uncastrated adult male sheep

Example:

a British term is 'tup'

Synonyms:

ram; tup

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("ram" is a kind of...):

sheep (woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat)

Meronyms (parts of "ram"):

horn (one of the bony outgrowths on the heads of certain ungulates)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A tool for driving or forcing something by impact

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("ram" is a kind of...):

tool (an implement used in the practice of a vocation)

Meronyms (parts of "ram"):

head (the striking part of a tool)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ram"):

battering ram (a ram used to break down doors of fortified buildings)

rammer (a tool for driving something with force)

Derivation:

ram (force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically)

ram (strike or drive against with a heavy impact)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible

Synonyms:

RAM; random-access memory; random access memory; random memory; read/write memory

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("RAM" is a kind of...):

volatile storage (computer storage that is erased when the power is turned off)

Meronyms (parts of "RAM"):

buffer; buffer storage; buffer store ((computer science) a part of RAM used for temporary storage of data that is waiting to be sent to a device; used to compensate for differences in the rate of flow of data between components of a computer system)

core; magnetic core ((computer science) a tiny ferrite toroid formerly used in a random access memory to store one bit of data; now superseded by semiconductor memories)

RAM disk ((computer science) a virtual drive that is created by setting aside part of the random-access memory to use as if it were a group of sectors)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "RAM"):

core memory; magnetic core memory ((computer science) a computer memory consisting of an array of magnetic cores; now superseded by semiconductor memories)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The first sign of the zodiac which the sun enters at the vernal equinox; the sun is in this sign from about March 21 to April 19

Synonyms:

Aries; Aries the Ram; Ram

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Instance hypernyms:

house; mansion; planetary house; sign; sign of the zodiac; star sign ((astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided)

Sense 5

Meaning:

(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Aries

Synonyms:

Aries; Ram

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Ram" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Domain category:

astrology; star divination (a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically

Example:

He drives me mad

Synonyms:

drive; force; ram

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "ram" is one way to...):

thrust (push forcefully)

Verb group:

drive (compel somebody to do something, often against his own will or judgment)

drive (to compel or force or urge relentlessly or exert coercive pressure on, or motivate strongly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ram"):

toe; toenail (drive obliquely)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Also:

ram down (teach by drills and repetition)

Derivation:

ram (a tool for driving or forcing something by impact)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Crowd or pack to capacity

Example:

the theater was jampacked

Synonyms:

chock up; cram; jam; jampack; ram; wad

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "ram" is one way to...):

stuff (cram into a cavity)

Verb group:

cram (put something somewhere so that the space is completely filled)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s something with something

Sentence example:

They ram the books into the box

Sense 3

Meaning:

Undergo damage or destruction on impact

Example:

The car crashed into the lamp post

Synonyms:

crash; ram

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "ram" is one way to...):

clash; collide (crash together with violent impact)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Strike or drive against with a heavy impact

Example:

pound on the door

Synonyms:

pound; ram; ram down

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "ram" is one way to...):

thrust (push forcefully)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

ram (a tool for driving or forcing something by impact)

rammer (a tool for driving something with force)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Thornton saw him coming, and, as Buck struck him like a battering ram, with the whole force of the current behind him, he reached up and closed with both arms around the shaggy neck.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)