rem

Everyday

1. REM stands for «rapid eye movement», a stage of sleep when your eyes move quickly under your eyelids and you have most of your dreams. tree →
2. A rem is an old unit for measuring how much radiation a body has taken in; scientists now use the sievert. tree →
3. «rem» is also a piece of longer words like «remember». tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about sleep and health, REM sleep comes in cycles through the night and helps the brain; children need lots of sleep. In science about radiation, the rem (and now the sievert) measures possible harm to the body. On its own «rem» is not an everyday word.

Examples

• We dream most during REM sleep. tree →
• During REM sleep, your eyes move quickly. tree →
• Babies spend a lot of time in REM sleep. tree →
• A night's sleep has several REM stages. tree →
• The rem is an old unit for radiation dose. tree →
• Scientists now measure radiation dose in sieverts. tree →

Note

Abbreviation: write REM in capitals for the sleep stage, say «R-E-M» or «rem». In computing, REM is a comment line in old BASIC programs. Not an English word on its own in ordinary talk.