I. ˈrim noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English rime, rim, from Old English rima; akin to Old Frisian rim edge, Old Norse rimi strip of land, rim fence rail, Gothic rimis quietness, Old Irish fo rim- to set, put, Greek ērema gently, softly, slowly, Lithuanian remti to support, Sanskrit ramate he stands still, rests; basic meaning: to rest, support
1.
a. : the outer often curved or circular edge or border of something : brim , lip , margin
rim of a coin
rim of a tabletop
rim of a bowl
rim of a cup
rim of an ocean
hayricks on the rim of a field — Gladys B. Stern
each sheet written to the rim in Swift's crabbed little hand — Virginia Woolf
a glow along the rim of the hills — Lord Dunsany
b. : brink
close to the rim of world war — M.W.Straight
specifically : rimrock 2
rim of a plateau
north rim of the canyon
2.
a. : the outer circular part of a wheel joined to the hub usually by spokes
b. : a removable outer metal band on an automobile wheel to which the tire is attached
3.
a. : a raised or projecting outer edge or border
rim of a plate
inside rim of a turntable
b. : something applied as a border
licking the rim of milk from her upper lip — Nicholas Monsarrat
4. : frame 3m(1) — compare horn-rimmed
5. : the outer edge of a usually horseshoe-shaped copydesk where the copyreaders as distinguished from the copy editor sit
from the rim to the slot to the city editor to the reporter — Bruce Westley
because he couldn't write a headline to fit the allotted space, he persuaded a fellow rim man to do it for him — Newsweek
— compare slot
Synonyms: see border
II. verb
( rimmed ; rimmed ; rimming ; rims )
transitive verb
1. : to furnish with a rim : serve as a rim for : border , enclose
rimmed the outline of another letter in gold — Gordon Webber
a balcony rimming the second floor — Morris Gilbert
high mountains which rimmed the region — R.A.Billington
nails rimmed black with grease — Kay Boyle
2. of a ball : to run around the rim of
a putt that rimmed the cup
intransitive verb
: to form or show a rim, edge, or border
opened the door. The yellow light from inside rimmed about her — R.J.Hogan
till rimmed into the east the risen sun — Walter de la Mare
the biotite … does not rim or interfinger with hornblende — Economic Geology
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English reme, rime, rim membrane, from Old English rēama, rēoma membrane, ligament; akin to Old Saxon & Old High German riomo strap, Middle Dutch rieme, Middle Low German rēme
archaic : peritoneum