Words / B2

KRAM/kræm/

To cram is to study intensively just before an exam, or to force too many people or things into a space: cram for a test; cram into a carriage. Revise is the planned twin (already elsewhere); stuff is everyday packing. Do not cram unread titles into the bibliography. Mix-up: cramp; cream (already in the dictionary). Do not write cram for a week of spaced revision.

Meaning

To study intensively just before an exam, or to force too many people or things into a space.

Examples

• “Do not cram unread titles into the bibliography, the handbook said.”
• “Commuters crammed into the carriage, which is the pack-too-tightly sense.”

Good to know

cram for + exam; cram + into; last-minute cramming. Planned twin: revise. Trap: cramp / cream. Exams, news, and transport. Last-minute study, or pack too tightly.

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