Cram
/kræm/noun
To pack or stuff something tightly; to study intensively in a short time.
Did you know?English *cram* is related to an old Germanic idea of squeezing or packing tightly, and its later “study at the last minute” sense comes from the same pressure-packed image.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kramjaną
“to press, squeeze, or cram in”
Old English
OE
crammian
“to stuff, cram, or fill tightly”
Middle English
ME
crammen
“to force in, pack full”
16th Century
English
cram
“to stuff or fill to excess”
19th Century
English
cram
“to study intensively for an exam in a short time”
Modern English
English
cram
“to pack tightly or study intensively in a short time”