ram

Etymology 1

From Middle English ram, rom, ramme, from Old English ramm (“ram”), from Proto-Germanic *rammaz (“ram”), possibly from *rammaz (“strong”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Rom (“ram”), Dutch ram (“a male sheep”), German Ramm, Ramme (“ram”). Possibly akin also to Danish ram (“sharp; acrid; rank”), Swedish ram (“strong; perfect”), Faroese ramur (“strong; competent”), Icelandic rammur (“strong; sturdy”).

noun

1. (zoology, agriculture) A male sheep, typically uncastrated.
2. A battering ram; a heavy object used for breaking through doors.
3. (military, nautical, chiefly historical) A warship intended to sink other ships by ramming them.
   About a couple of miles out lay an ironclad very low in the water, almost, to my brother's perception, like a water-logged ship. This was the ram Thunder Child. 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 178
4. (military, nautical, chiefly historical) A reinforced section of the bow of a warship, intended to be used for ramming other ships.
5. A piston powered by hydraulic pressure.
6. An act of ramming.
7. A weight which strikes a blow, in a ramming device such as a pile driver, steam hammer, or stamp mill.

Etymology 2

From Middle English rammen, from the noun (see above). Compare Old High German rammen.

verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) To collide with (an object), usually with the intention of damaging it or disabling its function.
   The man, driving an SUV, then rammed the gate, according to police.
   Two snatch thieves who snatched a woman's bag experienced swift karma when their victim accidentally rammed into their motorcycle. 2016-12-29, M. Kumar, “Snatch thieves accidentally rammed by victim”, in The Star, Malaysia
   The only amusing highlight was Gudgeon having managed to exploit U.S. codebreaking efforts to ambush and destroy the submarine I-173, albeit not for the lack of the Mark 14's trying to sabotage the effort, as the torpedo that had hit the sub had refused to detonate; it seemed, however, that the car-crash levels of kinetic energy involved in the dud simply ramming the sub had nonetheless done enough to fatally damage it. 29 December 2021, Drachinifel, 21:03 from the start, in The USN Pacific Submarine Campaign - The Dark Year (Dec'41 - Dec'42), archived from the original on 2022-07-19
2. (transitive) To strike (something) hard, especially with an implement.
   To build a sturdy fence, you have to ram the posts deep into the ground.
3. (transitive) To seat a cartridge, projectile, or propellant charge in the breech of a firearm by pushing or striking.
   After placing the cartridge in the musket, ram it down securely with the ramrod.
4. (transitive, also figurative) To force, cram or thrust (someone or something) into or through something.
   Again: great to take lessons in ethics from a guy currently trying to ram through a policy of freighting refugees off to cuddly Rwandan president Paul Kagame. 2023-07-04, Marina Hyde, “Who’s for political Bazball with Rishi? Voters? Tories? Anyone?”, in The Guardian
5. (transitive) To fill or compact by pounding or driving.
   rammed earth walls
6. (slang) To thrust during sexual intercourse.
   1999, Mr.Web, Size Matters review by mr. web review Group: rec.arts.movies.erotica like feel a soft butt against their pelvis or ram a girl really hard with piston-like speed while she begs and screams for more

Etymology 3

Likely from Old Norse ramr, rammr (“strong, rank, bitter”), from Proto-Germanic *rammaz (“strong, overbearing; acrid, rank”), perhaps ultimately related to Etymology 1 above. Compare Scots ram (“a rank odour”). Compare also Middle English rammish (“rank, offensive in smell”).

adj

1. (Northern England) Rancid; offensive in smell or taste.