I. ˈshim noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably akin to Old English scima twilight, gloom, scīma ray, light, brightness, Old Saxon skimo shadow, Old Saxon & Old High German skīmo brightness, Old Norse skimi brightness, Gothic skeima lantern, Old English scīnan to shine — more at shine
1. dialect England : a white streak on a horse's face
2. dialect England : a fleeting glimpse
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
1. : a horizontal knife attachment to a cultivator used for surface scraping between crop rows and for weed removal
2. : a thin piece or slip usually of wood, metal, or stone that is often tapered, is used to fill in (as in leveling a stone in building or a railroad tie or rail), or is designed to be removed to take up wear (as in a bearing)
3. : a shingle with sides not equally thick
4. : a thin strip usually of brass used to separate parts in making a piece mold
III. transitive verb
( shimmed ; shimmed ; shimming ; shims )
1. : to hoe or weed with a shim
2.
a. : to fill out or level up to a desired height or a true surface by the use of a shim
b. : to fill up (cracks or joints) usually with putty