I. ˈtrim verb
( trimmed ; trimmed ; trimming ; trims )
Etymology: from (assumed) Middle English trimen, trymen, from Old English trymian, trymman to strengthen, confirm, arrange, from trum strong, firm, secure; akin to Greek drymos forest, Sanskrit druma tree, dāruṇa hard, dāru wood — more at tree
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) archaic : to build or repair (a ship) and provide with fittings and supplies for sailing
(2) obsolete : to furnish or prepare for use
he had not so trimm'd and dressed his land as we this garden — Shakespeare
also : to restore to a usable condition
b. : to prepare (as a lamp) for most efficient burning
2.
a. : to embellish with or as if with ribbons, lace, or ornaments : decorate , adorn
these rich fabrics are often extravagantly trimmed with flowers — Women's Wear Daily
a handsome edifice of … colonial sand-mold brick, trimmed with marble — American Guide Series: Minnesota
b. : to arrange a display of goods in (a shop window)
3.
a.
(1) : to administer a beating to : chastise , thrash
(2) : to defeat especially resoundingly
trimmed him at chess
b. : defraud , cheat , swindle
4.
a.
(1) : to make trim, neat, regular, or less bulky by or as if by cutting, shortening, or clipping
has his hair trimmed before it needs cutting — H.W.Hayes
trim a page of a book
(2) : to prepare (an animal) for exhibition especially by ordering and styling the coat
b. : to reduce by removing excess or extraneous matter : cut away matter to lessen the size of
trims his 190 pounds down to a sinewy 170 by race time — Bill Wolf
trim the hides of those parts which cannot be made into usable leather — advt
trimmed of its branches, a ramrod-backed tree whisks out of the logging camp by rail — Monsanto Magazine
trim the budget
c. : to take off or away by or as if by cutting, clipping, or lopping
trimmed thousands from federal payrolls — Grit
trim excess fat from meat — Better Homes & Gardens
trimmed out description that intervenes between two consecutive actions — K.A.Spaulding
5.
a.
(1) : to cause (as a ship) to assume a desirable position in the water by the arrangement of ballast, cargo, or passengers
the captain made us trim the boat, and we got her to lie a little more evenly — R.L.Stevenson
(2) : to adjust for horizontal movement or for motion upward or downward
trimming the blimp satisfactorily
trimmed to fly at a lift coefficient corresponding to a minimum glide angle — Aero Digest
if the boat is properly trimmed, she submerges on a practically even keel — Kendall Banning
b. : to adjust (as a sail) to a desired position
trim cargo
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to maintain a middle position between opposing parties so as to appear to be neutral or to favor each equally
b. : to change one's views so as to correspond to the momentarily popular or winning opinion
if … he begins to trim or equivocate, then he won't be for us and we won't be for him — American Mercury
2. : to assume or cause a boat or ship to assume a desired position in the water
the art of navigation lies in trimming to the storm — J.A.Froude
Synonyms: see stabilize
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- trim one's sails
II. adjective
( trimmer ; trimmest )
1. obsolete : excellent , fine ; also : pleasant , gay
2. archaic : suitably adjusted, equipped, or prepared for service or use : in good order : well trimmed
3. : exhibiting neatness, good order, or compactness of line or structure : free from anything unkempt, disordered, or extraneous : having clean lines or proper proportion : being in good order or repair
trim , new bungalows — American Guide Series: Arkansas
the gravel paths are squared and trim — Emily Hahn
not fat, like grass-fed cattle, but trim and supple, like deer — John Burroughs
Synonyms: see neat
III. adverb
: trimly — used chiefly in combination
the trim -cut forest vistas — W.M.Thackeray
IV. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : the state of readiness to sail of a ship or its cargo, ballast, engines, or rigging
b.
(1) : the condition or state of readiness for action or use of a person or thing : fitness
weighing 160 pounds, the writer is in fine physical trim — Current Biography
especially : a suitable or excellent condition for a particular task or for general action
working himself into physical trim to stand the strain — S.H.Adams
get a strange system called democracy into working trim — Elspeth Huxley
cars in full road trim — R.F.Baxter
(2) : the condition of a person with respect to personal qualities : character , disposition
2.
a. : clothing, dress, or appearance especially when rich or ornate
b. : material used as adornment, ornament, or trimming or fully or partly ornamental fixtures
sentences full of rich trim … that a lesser man might forbear to use — Rex Lardner
as
(1) : trimming 2
(2) : the lighter woodwork or metal in the finish of a building (as a molded architrave around an opening to protect the plastering) ; also : an ornamental or protective framing (as of wood, metal, or stone) around an opening or at a corner or eave
a double-winged massive building of light brown brick with red stone trim — American Guide Series: Minnesota
serve as architectural trim and have no structural value at all — G.E.Strehan
(3) : the hardware of a building and especially of its doors
(4) : the interior furnishings of an automobile body including seat, floor, and sidewall coverings, hardware, lights, armrests, and other accessories ; also : ornamental metalwork on the outside of an automotive vehicle
chrome trim
(5) : window dressing
3.
a. : the position of a ship, boat, seaplane, or float in water especially with reference to the horizontal
could feel the altered trim of the boat as her bows sank and her stern rose on the slope — C.S.Forester
also : the measure of the difference between the draft of a ship forward and that aft
designed … to float at a draft of 12 feet forward and 15 feet aft, giving a trim of 3 feet by the stern — E.L.Aftwood
b. : the relation between the plane of a sail and the direction of motion of the ship
c. : the buoyancy status of a submarine
using the ballast pumps to alter the trim of the submarine — David Masters
submarine custom for the diving officer to control the speed until he is satisfied with the submerged trim — E.L.Beach
d. : the attitude of a lighter-than-air craft relative to a fore-and-aft horizontal plane
e. : the attitude with respect to wind axes at which an airplane will continue in level flight with free controls
4. : something that is trimmed off or cut out
a man making axle shafts … picked up a piece of discarded trim — B.M.Bowie
5.
a. : the portion of the outside edges of printed sheets or pages especially of a book that is to be trimmed off
b. : the maximum width of finished paper with deckle edges removed that can be made on a paper machine
6. : a haircut that neatens up the lines of a previous haircut without changing the style
7. : the small strings at the top and throat of a racket which bind the main strings
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- trim by the bow
- trim by the stern