▪ I. aim, v.
(eɪm)
Forms: 3–7 ame, 4 eyme, 4–7 ayme, 6–7 aime, 7– aim.
[In this word probably two vbs. are confounded, 1. Picard. amer, OFr. and Pr. esmer:—L. æstimā-re; 2. OFr. (aasmer, aemer, eesmer, eamer,) aesmer:—late L. ad-æstimā-re.]
† 1. trans. To esteem, consider, take account of. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Ps. cxliii. 3 Or the sone of man, for thou eymest hym [1388 Thou arettist him of sum valu]. c 1400 Destr. Troy iii. 762 Iff þe any thing have amyt abill me to, Þat þe me faithfully informe. |
† 2. To estimate, calculate, reckon (a number or value). Obs.
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 240 An arme of þe se men kennes Þe depnes may non ame. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1596 No mon vpon mold · miȝt ayme þe noumber. c 1440 Morte Arthure 4069 And alle Arthurs oste was amede with knyghtes Bot awghtene hundrethe of alle. |
† 3. To guess, to conjecture. (With simple obj. or subord. clause.) Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Prov. xxiii. 7 For in licnesse of a deuynour..he eymeth [1388 gessith] that he knowith not. ― 1 Sam. i. 13 Heli therfor eymyde hir dronken. a 1593 H. Smith Wks. (1866) I. 268 No marvel if he did aim that his death was near at hand. 1602 Warner Albion's Eng. x. lix. 258 Supposing, by her Blushings, all would ayme her altred plight. |
† 4. To calculate, devise, arrange, plan. Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy v. 1679 Oppon þe auter was amyt to stond An ymage full noble. Ibid. v. 1562 Ymagry ouer all amyt þere was, Of beste and babery. 1604 Shakes. Oth. iii. iii. 223 My speech should fall into such vilde successe Which my Thoughts aym'd not. |
5. To calculate one's course with a view to arriving (at a point); to direct one's course, to make it one's object to attain. Hence fig. To have it as an object, to endeavour earnestly. Const. (to obs.) at; dat. inf.; sometimes for, perhaps by confusion with make for. † a. refl. Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy xvi. 7229 Ector to Achilles amyt him sone. |
b. intr. Also with infinitive: to intend; to attempt (formerly chiefly dial. and U.S., now colloq.)
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 98 Whan Henry was ryued þer, þer he wild ame. c 1400 Destr. Troy v. 2023 Antenor Amyt after anone To the palis. 1598 J. Dickenson Greene in Conceipt 24 Which aym'd wholly at singularitie, glorying to bee peerelesse in hir pompe. 1602 Marston Antonios Revenge v. i. sig. I 2{supr}, Alberto drawes out his dagger, Maria her knife, ayming to menace the Duke. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, iii. i. 138 Madam, you wander from the good We ayme at. 1649 Selden Laws of Eng. ii. xxvi. (1739) 116 That ease and rest that the King aimed to enjoy. 1665 in Rhode Isl. Col. Rec. II. 120 And this the Court hath done, aimeing alsoe therein to save the towne. 1758 S. Hayward Serm. xvi. 471 Perfection is what the Christian is aiming at. 1785 Hutton Bran New Wark (1879) 24 Aaiming to hev a good conscience. 1872 Jenkinson Guide Eng. Lakes (1879) 293 Aim for the Steeple. 1878– in Eng. Dial. Dict. 1879 Froude Cæsar ix. 91 In politics they aimed at being on the successful side. 1891 Hardy Tess (1892) xxv. 204 Aiming to arrive about the breakfast hour. 1909 J. Bigelow Retrosp. I. iii. 57 A[n]..article in which I aimed to compare and contrast the duties of Roman lawyers with those of our own time and country. 1940 F. van Wyck Mason Stars on Sea ii. viii. 283 A seaman called through tattooed hands, ‘We ain't Spanishers. We don't aim to harm you.’ |
6. a. intr. To calculate or estimate the direction of anything about to be launched (at an object); to deliver a blow, or discharge a missile (at anything) with design or endeavour to strike. Hence fig. To try to hit, gain, or bring into one's power; to have designs upon, to seek to obtain. Const. at.
| c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 735 And eymede ful euene to ȝyue þe strok. 1573 Twyne æneid xi. (R.) This goddesse faire..from this hillocke farre at Aruns aimes within her sight. 1659 Pearson Creed (1839) 230 Our translation, aiming at the sense, rendereth it, etc. 1718 Pope Iliad iv. 130 Aim at his breast, and may that aim succeed. 1769 Junius Lett. Pref. 18 Those who persuade you to aim at power without right. 1821 W. Russel Mod. Europe i. xxxvii, Edward..aimed at the absolute sovereignty and dominion of that kingdom. |
b. to aim off (in Rifle-Shooting), to alter the aim to allow for the wind. So aiming-off vbl. n., aim-off n. Also transf.
| 1918 E. S. Farrow Dict. Mil. Terms 12 Aiming-off, altering the point of aim laterally, so as to give deflection to the rifle-barrel without using the wind gauge. 1931 Small Arms Training (War Off.) V. v. 70 Aiming off for wind.., using wind-gauge to give effect of wind. 1932 J. A. Barlow Elements Rifle Shooting iv. 44 We have to learn to aim at some spot other than the one which we want to hit... We will leave for the moment the business of judging the amount of aim-off required and concentrate on the problem of how to aim off. 1957 Spaceflight I. 64/2 One of the most difficult problems in the launching of a guided missile, that of aim-off, is entirely eliminated, as the rocket flies continuously within the guiding beam, always endeavouring to intercept its target. |
7. trans. To direct (a missile, or blow); especially, to direct it with the eye before its discharge; to point or level a gun, etc. (at). Hence fig. to direct any act or proceeding against. Also transf.
| 1573 Phaër æneid x. (R.) Then Turnus, aiming long in hand a dart of sturdy oke..at Pallas forth it flung. 1603 Drayton Odes xvii. 67 Which didst the Signall ayme, To our hid forces. 1702 Logan Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem. IX. 99 Hee aimed a blow home at the charter. 1727 Arbuthnot John Bull (1755) 11 Mrs. Bull aimed a knife at John. 1776 M. Angelo Juv. Sports (ed. 2) ix. 81 If you stand too far from it [the wicket], you may be knocked out by the bowler, before you can recover your bat after aiming a stroke. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 210 The laws enacted..against the Roman Catholics had really been aimed at himself. 1927 Punch 4 May 480/2 The maid appeared again, aimed me at the consulting-room and loosed me off. 1962 Which? Oct. (Car Suppl.) 139/2 Offside headlamp [was] aimed high. |
8. absol. In both the preceding senses: To take aim; to form designs.
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iv. iii. 65 My Lord, I aime a Mile beyond the Moone. 1608 ― Per. ii. v. 47 That never aim'd so high, to love your daughter. 1651 Hobbes Leviathan ii. xxv. 136 They look about with two eyes, yet they never ayme but with one. 1779 Cowper Olney Hymns ‘Jehovah Nissi,’ Who gave him strength to sling And skill to aim aright. Mod. dial. [To a boy throwing stones] ‘Now then, Charlie, you mustn't aim.’ |
▪ II. aim, n.
(eɪm)
[the vb. used subst.]
† 1. Estimation of probability; conjecture, guess.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy xv. 7088 Ector, be ame of his speche, Knew hym for his cousyn. c 1420 Siege of Rouen in Archæol. XXI. 62 Theroff had oure Kynge an awme. 1565 Jewel Repl. Harding (1611) 59 Wee lead not the people by aimes and ghesses. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. i. ii. 163 What you would worke me too, I haue some ayme. 1625 Bacon Essays xvii. 347 The taking an Aime at diuine Matters by Human. |
† 2. The action of making one's way towards a point; course, direction. Obs.
| 1549 Olde tr. Erasm. Paraphr. 1 Tim. i. 19 Lest he shuld chaunce to goe quyte out of his ame altogether. 1679 Coles, I am quite out of my aim, Non ubi terrarum sim scio. |
3. The act of aiming, or pointing the course of anything; the direction or pointing of a missile at that which it is intended to strike; esp. in phr. to take (make obs.) aim.
| c 1430 Syr Generides 5959 To cleue his heid the king made ame. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 157 A certaine aime he tooke At a faire Vestall. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 712 Each at the head Level'd his deadly aime. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. 40 The rearmost soldiers turned, and again fired with fatal aim and execution. 1868 Queen Victoria Life in Highl. 72 Macdonald whispered that he saw stags, and that Albert should wait and take a steady aim. |
† b. to give aim: To guide one in his aim, by informing him of the result of a preceding shot. Obs.
| 1545 R. Ascham Toxoph. 161 Yet, there is one thing whiche many archers vse, yat shall cause a man haue lesse nede to marke the wether, and that is Ame gyuing. Ibid. Gyuing Ame..hindreth the knowledge of shotyng, and maketh men more negligente. 1653 Middleton & Rowley Sp. Gypsey ii. (N.), I myself give aim thus: wide, four bows; short, three and a half. |
† c. to cry aim: ‘To encourage the archers by crying out {oqq}Aim!{cqq} when they were about to shoot.’ Nares. Hence, To encourage, applaud, abet. Obs.
| 1589 R. Harvey Pl. Perc. 21 Shake handes & be friendes, meet halfe way, and I standing iump in the middle will crie aime to you both. 1595 Shakes. John ii. i. 196 It ill beseemes this presence to cry ayme To these ill-tuned repetitions. 1625 [Beaum. & Fl.] Maid of Inn v. iii, Must I cry aim To this unheard of insolence? |
† 4. Direction or guidance given. Obs.
| a 1625 Fletcher Hum. Lieut. (1st fol.) 127 We know without your aime, good woman. 1627 Speed Eng. etc. Abridged xxxiv. §8 [Houses of religion broken up] vnder the ayme of King Henry the eight. 1643 Milton Soveraigne Salve 39 Posts of direction for Travellers..to give you ayme. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. III. 54 A Passage which seems to give us some Aim for judging. |
5. fig. The act of directing the efforts towards an object; design, intention, purpose.
| 1632 Sanderson 12 Serm. 553 We cannot attain to the full of our first aymes. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 41 With ambitious aim Against the Throne and Monarchy of God. 1738 Wesley Ps. xxxii. 2 Free from Design, or selfish Aim. 1870 Bryant Homer I. i. 4 'Twere well, Since now our aim is baffled, to return. |
† 6. A thing aimed at; a mark, or butt. Obs. in lit. sense.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. C. 128 Schomely to schort he schote of his ame. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iv. iv. 90 A garish Flagge To be the ayme of euery dangerous Shot. 1598 Florio, Segno..a white or ayme or blanke to shoote at. 1632 Sanderson 12 Serm. 50 But because my ayme lyeth another way; I can but poynt at them, and passe. |
7. fig. A thing intended or desired to be effected; an object, purpose.
| 1625 Burges Pers. Tithes 3 My chiefe ayme in this discourse is..to pull sundry honest Christians out of a damnable sinne. 1651 Hobbes Leviathan ii. xxviii. 162 The aym of Punishment is not a revenge, but terrour. 1734 Pope Ess. on Man iv. 1 O Happiness! our being's end and aim! 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. §2. 9 Our first aim was to cross the Wengern Alp. 1876 Green Short Hist. of Eng. People Pref. 5 The aim of the following work is defined by its title. |
8. colloq. The person who aims. Cf. a good shot.
| 1881 Miss Laffan Weeds in Macm. Mag. XLIV. 392 He was a good aim too. |
9. Comb. and attrib. as aim-certain a., sure of one's aim; aim-frontlet, a frontlet or front-piece to assist in taking aim. Also aim-crier.
| 1878 Masque of Poets 11 Plunge aim-certain in the living stream. 1849 Mem. Kirkaldy of Grange xxviii. 335 All the cannon of those days were levelled, raised or depressed by means of a wedge called the aim-frontlet, hollowed to receive the muzzle under which it was placed. |