▪ I. glim, n.
(glɪm)
Also 4 glymme.
[Ultimately f. the weak-grade of the Teut. root *glī̆m-, glaim- (see gleam); but the history is obscure. Possibly the word in sense 2 may be a modification of glims glimpse, and in sense 3 a shortening of glimmer, its earlier synonym. It is not certain that the n. existed in OE. or ON., though some of the continental Teut. langs. have a word of coincident form and meaning: cf. MHG. glim (mod.G. glimm) masc., spark, Sw. dial. glim flash, Du. (obs.), Flem. glim, also glimp, glow, glance, passing appearance.]
† 1. ? Brightness. Obs. rare—1.
So commonly explained on etymological grounds; the context by itself would rather suggest ‘delight’.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1087 So watz I rauyste wyth glymme pure. |
2. Sc. † A passing look, a glimpse (
obs.). Hence, as much as is seen at a glance; a scrap.
| c 1620 A. Hume Brit. Tongue (1865) 2 If the way might be found to draue your eie, set on high materes of state, to take a glim of a thing of so mean contemplation. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxx, Now, old Meg, d—n me, if I can understand a glim of this story of yours. |
3. slang. a. A light of any kind; a candle, a lantern.
douse the glim (see
douse v. 4).
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Glim, a Dark-Lanthorn used in Robbing Houses. c 1742 in Hone Every-day Bk. II. 526 Glim, and Leather-dresser, viz. the Utensils of a Link and Black-shoe Boy. 1798 in J. H. Vaux Mem. (1819) I. viii. 75 When in the Cockpit all was dim And not a Mid dar'd shew his glim. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxxiv, Are you in the dark?.. Where should I have a glim? 1838 Dickens O. Twist xxii, Show a glim, Toby. 1840 Marryat Poor Jack xxiii, Do top that glim, Bill! 1845 Alb. Smith Fort. Scatterg. Fam. xviii. (1887) 61 She's always got that little glim alight at her stern. 1852 E. Z. C. Judson Myst. N.Y. i. iv. 37 Old Jack bade Harriet trim the glim. 1883 Stevenson Treas. Isl. i. v, Sure enough, they left their glim here. |
b. An eye.
| 1820 in Egan Grose's Dict. Vulg. Tongue (1823) s.v., His glims I've made look like a couple of rainbows. 1830 Lytton P. Clifford vii, Queer my glims, if that ben't little Paul. a 1845 Barham Ingol. Leg., Housewarming 43 Harold escaped with a loss of a glim. |
4. Comb. (
slang), as
glim lamp,
glim light;
glim-fenders, andirons; also punningly, handcuffs;
glim-glibber, a lingo or jargon;
glim-jack, a link-boy;
glim-stick, a candlestick.
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, *Glimfenders, Andirons. 1750 [Mrs. R. Goadby] Apol. Life B. M. Carew (ed. 2) 338 Glimfenders, hand irons. 1823 J. Bee Dict. Turf, Glim⁓fendors, hand-cuffs, or wrist manacles. |
| 1844 Ld. Brougham A. Lunel III. vi. 180 All of the same caste (or, as he jocosely termed it, of the same cant) had a *glimglibber of their own, and quite understood one another, like freemasons. |
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, *Glimjack, a Link-boy. |
| 1942 W. Simpson One of our Pilots is Safe ii. 40 At dusk the control officer for the night arrived and arranged a path of small electric *glim lamps in the form of a capital L. |
| 1943 *Glim light [see bat n.2 3 f]. |
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, *Glimstick, a Candlestick. 1812 in J. H. Vaux Flash Dict. |
▪ II. glim, v. (
glɪm)
Also 5
glymm.
[In sense 1, ad. Du. glimmen to glow = MHG., Ger. glimmen, Sw. glimma, Da. glimme, f. the root glim- (see glim n.). In sense 2, f. glim n.] † 1. intr. To shine, gleam.
Obs.—1| 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 98 Ther laye in a grete ape with tweyne grete wyde eyen, and they glymmed as a fyre. |
2. trans. To brand or burn in the hand.
slang.| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew s.v., As the cull was Glimm'd, he gangs to the Nubb, if the Fellow has been Burnt in the Hand, he'll be Hang'd now. 1708 Mem. J. Hall 33 Profligate Women..are glimm'd for that Villany. 1785 in Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue. |