verb
- cleaning a ship’s bottom by burning off seaweed, barnacles, and other marine growth
Usage: nautical; technical
Examples
- The crew spent the morning breaming the hull to remove barnacles.
- Breaming was essential maintenance for wooden ships in tropical waters.
- After months at sea, the vessel required breaming before the next voyage.
- The sailors used torches for breaming the ship’s bottom.
- Regular breaming helped maintain the ship’s speed and seaworthiness.