/ trɪm; NAmE / verb , noun , adjective
■ verb ( -mm- ) [ vn ]
1.
to make sth neater, smaller, better, etc., by cutting parts from it :
to trim your hair
to trim a hedge (back)
( figurative )
The training budget had been trimmed by £10 000.
2.
trim sth (off sth) | trim sth (off / away) to cut away unnecessary parts from sth :
Trim any excess fat off the meat.
I trimmed two centimetres off the hem of the skirt.
3.
[ usually passive ] trim sth (with sth) to decorate sth, especially around its edges :
gloves trimmed with fur
•
IDIOMS
- trim your sails
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- trim down | trim sth down
■ noun
1.
[ C , usually sing. ] an act of cutting a small amount off sth, especially hair :
a wash and trim
The hedge needs a trim.
2.
[ U , sing. ] material that is used to decorate clothes, furniture, cars, etc., especially along the edges, by being a different colour, etc. :
The car is available with black or red trim (= the colour of the seats) .
a blue jacket with a white trim
•
IDIOMS
- in (good, etc.) trim
■ adjective
1.
( of a person ) looking thin, healthy and attractive :
She has kept very trim.
a trim figure
2.
neat and well cared for
SYN well kept :
a trim garden
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English trymman , trymian make firm, arrange , of which the adjective appears to be a derivative. The word's history is obscure; current verb senses date from the early 16th cent. when usage became frequent and served many purposes: this is possibly explained by spoken or dialect use in the Middle English period not recorded in existing literature.