trim

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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• Rhymes: -ɪm

Etymology

Old English trymman

Verb

trim (third-person singular simple present trims, present participle trimming, simple past and past participle trimmed)

1. (transitive) to reduce slightly; to cut; especially, to remove excess; e.g. 'trim a hedge', 'trim a beard'.

   Place the screen material in the frame, secure it in place, and trim the edges.

   The company trimmed jobs for the second time this year.

2. (transitive) to decorate or adorn; especially, to decorate a Christmas tree

   They traditionally trim the tree on Christmas Eve.

3. (transitive, nautical) To modify the angle of a vessel to the water by shifting cargo or ballast; to adjust for sailing; to assume, or cause a vessel to assume, a certain position, or trim, in the water. (FM 55-501).
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     The captain made us trim the boat, and we got her to lie a little more evenly.

4. (transitive, nautical) To modify the angle of a vessel's sails relative to the wind, especially to set the sails to the most advantageous angle.

Translations

to reduce slightly

Esperanto: ĉirkaŭhaki (eo) Finnish: leikata (fi), trimmata (fi) French: tailler (fr) German: kürzen, nachschneiden, schneiden, stutzen, zurückschneiden

Italian: tagliare (it), decorare (it), bilanciare (it) Portuguese: cortar (pt), podar (pt), aparar (pt) Russian: обрезать (ru) (obrézat'), сократить (ru) (sokratít'), подстричь (ru) (podstríč)

to decorate

Finnish: koristella (fi) German: schmücken (de)

Portuguese: decorar (pt)

to modify the angle of a ship relative to the water

Finnish: tasapainottaa (fi), trimmata (fi)

to adjust sails

Finnish: säätää (fi), trimmata (fi)

Noun

trim (plural trims)

1. (uncountable) decoration; especially, decoration placed along edges or borders

   Paint the house white with blue trim.

2. (countable) a haircut, especially a moderate one to touch up an existing style

   I went to the hairdresser for a trim and came back nearly bald.

3. (uncountable) the manner in which something is equipped or adorned; especially, of a car

   The car comes in three different trims.

4. (slang, mildly vulgar) engaging in sexual intercourse
5. (nautical) The fore-and-aft angle of the vessel to the water, with reference to the cargo and ballast; the manner in which a vessel floats on the water, whether on an even keel or down by the head or stern
6. (nautical) The arrangement of the sails with reference to the wind.

Translations

a moderate haircut

Finnish: tasoitus, trimmaus

Italian: spuntata (capelli-barba-baffi) (it)

the manner in sthg is equipped

Finnish: varustelutaso, viimeistely

German: Verkleidung f., Ausstattung f., Innenausstattung f. (especially cars)

the manner in which a vessel floats

Finnish: tasapaino (fi) French: assiette (fr) f.

Italian: assetto (nave-aereo) (it)

arrangement of sails relative to the wind

Finnish: trimmi German: Trimm m., Segeltrimmung f.

Italian: orientamento (it)

Adjective

trim (comparative trimmer, superlative trimmest)

1. physically fit

   He goes jogging every day to keep trim.

2. slender, lean; as a trim figure
3. neat or smart in appearance; as a trim lawn

Translations

fit

German: fit (de)

Italian: in forma (it)

slender, lean

German: schlank (de)

neat, smart appearance

German: gepflegt (de)

Adverb

trim (not comparable)

1. (nautical) In good order, properly managed or maintained.
2. (nautical) With sails well trimmed.

Usage notes

• More often used in combinations, eg, "trim-sailed".

Anagrams

• RMIT

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Albanian

Noun

trim m.

1. man
2. hero

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Dutch

Verb

trim

1. first-person singular present indicative of trimmen.
2. imperative of trimmen.