I. ˈām verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English aimen, amen to guess, estimate, aim, from Middle French aesmer & esmer; Middle French aesmer from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad- ) + esmer, from Latin aestimare to estimate — more at esteem
intransitive verb
1. : to direct a course: as
a. : to point in a particular direction or at a particular object
that gun is aiming straight at me — V.C.Aldrich
b. : to channel efforts toward a goal
officer-candidate schools toward which men … can aim — J.J.O'Donnell
the monastic scholars did not aim high — R.W.Southern
2. obsolete : to guess with intent to discover meaning or truth
aim at another man's speech
aim at suspected enmity
3. : to have as a purpose : plan , intend — used only with infinitive
he aims to encourage mutual understanding — Saturday Review
this book aims to effect a partial remedy of this situation — E.A.Maziarz
I aim to finish up this job — I.S.Cobb
transitive verb
1. obsolete : guess , conjecture
2.
a. : to direct or point (as a weapon or a missile) at or so as to hit an object
on the lawn a small cannon was aimed into space
a camera was aimed at the scene
he aimed the rock at the dog
b. : to direct (as an act or proceeding) at or toward a specified object or attainment
the study was aimed at developing a comparative picture — New York Times
the haphazard transcription inevitable in work aimed solely at vocabulary collecting — Stanley Newman
c. : to intend for
a new printing press aimed at medium and small-sized newspapers — Wall Street Journal
radio and TV shows aimed at juvenile audiences — Current Biography
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English aime, ame, from aimen, amen, v.
1. obsolete : the point intended to be hit (as by an arrow) : mark , target
2. : the pointing of a weapon (as a gun) at an object intended to be hit
to take aim at the target
a. : the ability to hit a target
his aim was deadly
b. : effectiveness of a weapon
the aim is accurate up to 75 feet
3. obsolete
a. : conjecture , guess
a man may prophesy, with a near aim , of the main chance of things — Shakespeare
b. : the directing of effort toward an object in order to affect it
c. : direction or guidance as to a course or procedure to be followed
4. : the object intended to be attained : purpose , design
his aim being the translation of certain religious and devotional writings — Edward Clodd
the aim of the Elizabethans was to attain complete realism — T.S.Eliot
the only fault I find in the book is a certain lack of aim — Geoffrey Boumphrey
such exaggeration is purely impressionistic in aim — R.M.Weaver
Synonyms: see intention