I. ˈgrīm transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English grimen, from Middle Dutch, from grime mask, soot
: to sully or soil deeply : besmear , begrime
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Flemish grijm, from Middle Dutch grime soot, mask; akin to Old English grīma mask, helmet, Old Saxon & Old Norse, mask, Old High German grīmo mask, Greek chriein to anoint, Lithuanian grieti to skim off cream — more at chrism
: soil (as soot or dirt) usually firmly adhering to or deeply embedded in a surface
windows coated with grime
the grime of toil that no scrubbing could wholly remove from his hands
broadly : accumulated dirtiness and disorder
the grime of the slums