▪ I. trim, n.
(trɪm)
Also 6–7 trym, trimme, 7–8 trimm.
[f. trim v.]
I. Nautical and Aeronautical senses.
1. The state of being trimmed or prepared for sailing; esp. the condition of being ‘fully rigged and ready to sail’ (Onions Shaks. Gloss.).
| 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iv. i. 90 The ship is in her trim, the merrie winde Blowes faire from land. c 1595 Capt. Wyatt R. Dudley's Voy. W. Ind. (Hakl. Soc.) 59 Our good shipp beinge putt in her best trym..Captaine Jobson caused the collers..to be advanced in the topps, poope and shrowdes of our shipp. 1628 Digby Voy. Medit. (Camden) 36, I found my shippe to be in perfect good trimme. 1874 Burnand My Time xxix. 279 Their yacht..was kept in trim all the year round. 1878 Besant & Rice Celia's Arb. xii, Don't let the boy think the vessel has got out of trim after all these years. |
2. a. The most advantageous set of a ship in the water on her fore and aft line: also with qualification, as good trim, better trim, best trim, bad trim. b. Adjustment of the sails with reference to the direction of the wind and the ship's course. c. The condition of being properly balanced. d. The difference between the draught forward and the draught aft (cf. trim v. 13).
| 1614 Gorges Lucan iii. 111 Of any ship to find the trimme, In wrought seas how she best might swimme. 1674 Petty Disc. Dupl. Proportion 28 Different Velocities, arising from the different Trim of the same Ship,..the best Trim being that which makes least resistance. 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. I, Trimm of a Ship, is her best Posture, Proportion of Ballast, and hanging of her Masts, &c. for Sailing;..to find the best way of making any Ship to Sail swiftly, is called finding her Trim. 1748 Anson's Voy. Introd. 10 The discovery of her most eligible position in the water (usually stiled her Trim). 1764 Reid Inquiry vi. §22 A ship requires a different trim for every variation of the direction and strength of the wind. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789), Out of Trim, the state of a ship when she is not properly balanced for the purposes of navigation. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §170 They must..always be in sailing trim. 1839 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. II. 323/1 To preserve the trim of the ship, by keeping the centre of gravity in its proper position. a 1845 Hood Pain in Pleas.-Boat 5 Bill, shift them bags of ballast aft—she's rather out of trim! 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Trim, the set of a ship on the water, whether by the head or the stern, or on an even keel. It is by the disposition of the ballast, cargo, masts, and other weight which she carries, that a vessel is best adapted for navigation... Trim of the hold, the arrangement of the cargo, &c., by which a vessel carries sail well [etc.]. |
e. In vague non-technical use, The general appearance or look of a ship: cf. 4.
| 1757 Gray Bard 73 In gallant trim the gilded Vessel goes. 1837 Disraeli Venetia vi. ii, I cannot exactly make out its trim; it scarcely seems a merchant vessel. |
f. The position of a submarine with respect to the angle between its longitudinal axis and the horizontal.
| 1917 Chambers's Jrnl. Aug. 557/2 When his boat was diving he had to be careful how he changed his position; otherwise the ‘trim’ was in danger of being upset. 1935 Sun (Baltimore) 14 Feb. 8/2 All ballast and emergency fuel dump tanks in the after part of the ship were dropped, and gas was valved from the forward gas cells in an effort to regain the trim. 1942 Gen 1 Aug. 3/1 Once out of the harbour the submarine dives for trim and, having caught the trim, she surfaces again. 1974 M. Hebden Pride of Dolphins ii. ix. 186 Navigation..is what you will be chiefly responsible for. Navigation and trim. Ibid. iii. ii. 224 Addams did a trim dive before he left. |
3. The position of an aircraft with respect to the angle between its longitudinal axis and the horizontal; the condition of static balance of the aerodynamic forces on an aircraft in straight flight; a device or action used to maintain such balance. Freq. attrib.
| 1919 W. B. Faraday Gloss. Aeronaut. Terms 17 Trim, the inclination to the horizontal of the longitudinal axis when the aerostat is floating freely at rest. 1935 C. G. Burge Compl. Bk. Aviation 242/2 A trim of this kind may also be useful on a very powerful fighting aeroplane of small span. 1944 Times 3 Apr. 2/4 With the elevator trims gone, the Lancaster was tending to climb all the time. 1962 J. Glenn in Into Orbit 12 The enemy shell had knocked out part of my trim controls. 1968 M. Woodhouse Rock Baby xxvii. 250 Yancy corrected trim. We flew another mile. 1977 D. Beaty Excellency vi. 78 He studied the load and trim sheet. Ibid. 81 He took his right hand off the stick, grabbed the trim wheel to push it forward... He let go of the trim, brought his right hand back. Ibid. 82 With the aircraft so badly out of trim, the autopilot refused to cope. 1982 J. Savarin Water Hole 173 He found the trim to his liking, switched on the auto pilot and relaxed. |
II. General senses.
4. a. Adornment, array; equipment, outfit; dress: usually in reference to style or appearance; hence sometimes nearly = guise, aspect.
| 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iv. i. 113 They come like Sacrifices in their trimme. 1623 Massinger Bondman i. i, I'd court Bellona in her horrid trim As if she were a mistress. a 1646 Visct. Falkland Marr. Night i. (1664) B ij b, A brave and Courtly Girle: has trim and dazle enough of white and red, to attract the eye. 1798 Wordsw. Idiot Boy xviii, She sees him in his travelling trim. 1818 Scott Br. Lamm. xxxii, Bucklaw, in bridegroom trim. 1838–9 F. A. Kemble Resid. in Georgia (1868) 58 The Sunday trim of the poor people. |
| fig. 1637 Heylin Antid. Lincoln. Pref. A j b, One that conjectured of the house by the trimme or dresse, would thinke it very richly furnished. 1646 G. Daniel Poems Wks. (Grosart) I. 38 The Earth doth now begin To flourish, in her Sweet and glorious Trimme. 1650 T. Vaughan Anthroposophia 65, I would not have Thee look here for the Paint, and Trim of Retorick. 1784 Cowper Task iii. 357 Nature in her cultivated trim Dressed to his taste, inviting him abroad. |
† b. the trim: the prevailing mode; the fashion. Obs. rare.
| 1603 Daniel Def. Ryme F v, Being now the trym, and fashion of the times, to sute a man otherwise cannot but giue a touch of singularity. 1628 Ford Lover's Mel. i. iii, Not like a lady of the trim. 1638 ― Fancies iv. i, Is't possible? why, you are turned a mistress, A mistress of the trim. |
† c. with a and pl. A piece of personal adornment, an ornament; a style of dress or array; also fig. Obs.
| 1579–80 North Plutarch (1676) 228 For her Purple Gowns, or for other such pretty fine trims of Gold, as women use to wear. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler (1843) 25 If I see a trimme, far trimmer than she that weares it. 1675 Penn Eng. Pres. Interest i, Civil Affairs..may be peaceably transacted under the different Liveries, or Trims of Religion. |
d. The act of trimming or condition of being trimmed (cf. trim v. 9).
| 1608 Rowlands Humors Looking Glasse 4 Many antique faces passe, From Barbers chaire vnto his glasse, There to beholde their kinde of trim. a 1914 Mod. colloq. The barber will give you a trim. 1931 G. A. Foan Art & Craft of Hairdressing iii. 134/1 It must be realized, however, that this is a shingle trim, that the work must be done more lightly, and that..less hair will be removed. 1955 H. D. Steiner Crowning Glory iii. 30 The main business of the hair dresser is to see that both the trim and set accord with the natural convolutions of the hair. 1977 D. Bennett Jigsaw Man viii. 141 He left with two wigs and an appointment to come back for a trim. 1983 Chicago Sun-Times 15 Nov. 41/1 (heading) Too few trims in new budget. |
e. = trimming vbl. n. 2 a.
| 1665 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 143 The gold..that was laid..upon the trim of Vests, was..in as perfect lustre as if it had been but newly done. 1948 H. Pepin Fund. Apparel Design vi. 137/2 This asymmetrically balanced motif proved suitable for border trim on sleeve. 1964 [see beading vbl. n. 2 b]. 1982 W. Boyd Ice-Cream War i. i. 7 The women all wore white dresses with lacy trims and carried parasols. |
f. The dressings of a house; ‘the visible woodwork, as the base-boards, door and window-casings, etc.’ (Cent. Dict.). U.S.
| 1884 N. York Even. Post 14 Apr. (Cent. D.), No wood having been used in construction except for floors, doors, and trim. 1885 Howells Silas Lapham (1891) II. 54 The trim of the doors and windows was in light green and the panels in salmon. |
g. A shop-window display. U.S.
| 1899 Harman's Jrnl. Feb. 7/1 The design for a [men's] furnishing trim..by Harry Harold of Milwaukee, Wis., a window trimmer, is a very clever arrangement. 1926 Publishers' Weekly 30 Jan. 328/1 A large red ribbon rosette, from which radiated white satin ribbons to a number of stands at each side of the trim. Ibid. 10 July 119/2 When Stone's trim was removed, Wheatly did his ‘stuff’. 1945 J. Bradford Retail Merchandiser's Handbk. xi. 62 Try to liven up a window as much as possible by using new, bright, and flashy display trims. |
h. Ornamental additions or finishings to a vehicle, piece of furniture, or other article; spec. the upholstery or interior lining of a motor car. Cf. trimming vbl. n. 2 c. orig. U.S.
| 1922 Automobile Trimmer & Painter Aug. 50/1 The Franklin trim is designed to give a maximum degree of resiliency and durability in order to match these qualities in the rest of the car. 1936 C. W. Seager Upholstered Furniture vii. 54 Trim serves the double purpose of concealing the raw edges and seams and supplying a decorative note. 1950 Pomeroy & Walkerley Motor Year Bk. 23 Throughout the range is an attractive style of trim incorporating contrasting piping round the edges of the seats. 1957 Practical Wireless XXXIII. 532/1 This model costs 98 guineas, and the bow-fronted cabinet is veneered in walnut with gilt trim. 1961 B.S.I. News Aug. 26/2 We have not had a single exhaust trim or exhaustor returned with a plating fault. 1962 Which? Car Suppl. Oct. 144/1 Leather upholstery and walnut trim. 1969 Sears Catal. Spring/Summer 6/2 Matching double handle handbag... Contrasting bar lightly touched with gleaming gold-color metal trim. 1971 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Doctor Bird vi. 85 The sofa..was one of a facing pair in oatmeal with hide trim. 1977 Time 4 July 6/3 But the new Soviet President let it be known that he was not pleased with the color of the trim on the wagon's seats. |
i. Cinemat. A piece of film cut out during editing; spec. a very short piece cut out during the final stage of editing. orig. U.S.
| 1934 in Webster. 1948 R. Spottiswoode Basic Film Techniques iii. 31/2 If he has to unwind rolls of trims (or cut-out sections of shots), he will let them hang on the bins. 1959 W. S. Sharps Dict. Cinematogr. 116/1 Outs, otherwise Trims, the material that is not included in the final edited version of a film. 1964 Listener 28 May 899/3 Theseus-Adonis and the Minotaur were separated by a film about Montreal made completely out of ‘trims’ from taped interviews and very rapid shots exemplifying the culture of cities. 1976 Broadcast 23 Aug. 6/2 The shop committee..will consider releasing the trims once it has seen all the documentation. Ibid. 6/3 Thames..could also satisfy the union curiosity about the sheer quantity of trims—60 cans. |
5. a. Condition, state, or order, esp. for work or action of any kind: usually qualified by an adj. (Now the chief general sense.)
| 1628 Feltham Resolves ii. [i.] xlv. 132 If we looke vpon him, in another trimme of the minde: how smooth hee is. 1666 G. Alsop Maryland Ded., I am so my self, and the world, as far as I can perceive, is not much out of the same trim. 1749 Smollett Gil Blas xi. xiv, They had almost dined, and consequently were in a trim for disputing. 1782 Cowper Gilpin 162 The Calender, amazed to see His neighbour in such trim. 1803 Wellington in Gurw. Desp. (1837) I. 476, I am in good marching trim. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. i. 9, I can hardly keep my charts..in any thing like decent trim. 1882 Roxburgh in Jean L. Watson R.S. Candlish ii. 25 Matters were at length in trim for my settlement. 1891 Field 7 Mar. 344/2 With the excellent present trim of the water, and fish feeding, anglers should take advantage of the few days left. |
b. Hence in († the) trim, into (to) trim, in or into proper condition or order.
| 1827 Scott Napoleon lxv, Soldiers whose hearts were in the trim. 1828 ― F.M. Perth iii, One of your hermits that..brings himself to trim by fasting and penance. 1879 Ruskin Hortus Inclusus lvi. (1887) 68 [My] eyes, head, feet, and fingers, all fairly in trim. 1886 Huxley in Life & Lett. (1900) II. viii. 129, I will give him a dose of that remedy when once I get into trim. 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer (1891) 179 The barque was empty and the whaling gear in trim. |
6. (orig. fig. from 2.) The nature, character, or manner of a person or thing; his or its ‘way’.
| 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 31 Those that knew his Trim, us'd to load him well with Ale and Salmon. 1771 T. Hull Sir W. Harrington (1797) III. 53 Our brother..never is ten minutes in the company of a woman without finding what he calls the trim of her. 1787 Beckford Italy (1834) II. 22 That I allow; but such, you know, is my trim and I cannot help it. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxxvii[i], His wife knows his trim, and I have not the least doubt that the matter is quite certain. 1824 R. Stuart Hist. Steam Engine 206 The water which is heated under a great pressure..is forced into [that] in the common boiler, and heats it to any degree suited to the nature or trim of the engine. |
7. U.S. slang. A woman; sexual intercourse with a woman.
| 1955 Amer. Speech XXX. 302 Chick, crazy freak, local talent, neat job, snatch, talent, trim, unfair sex, n., girl, usually pretty. Often used to refer to a woman of loose morals. [1961 Rigney & Smith Real Bohemia p. xvii, Trim, cunnilingus.] 1962 E. Lacy Freeloaders vi. 125 The broad isn't worth it, no trim is. 1974 H. L. Foster Ribbin', Jivin', & Playin' Dozens v. 191 Female student: ‘Somebody always askin for some trim and haven't even got anything.’ |
8. Special Comb.: trim tab, (a) Aeronaut. = trimming tab s.v. trimming vbl. n. 7 b; (b) Naut., a hinged tab fitted to the trailing edge of a keel or rudder to facilitate steering.
| 1944 H. F. Gregory Anything a Horse can Do 47 Elevator trim tab on an airplane—trimmed the craft so that when the hands were off the stick, the aircraft had no tendency to nose down or up. 1958 ‘Castle’ & ‘Hailey’ Flight into Danger vii. 96 The speed slowly dropped. At 160 George adjusted the trim tabs. 1977 Encycl. Aviation 188/3 Most airplanes have hinged trim tabs whose incidence is controlled from the cockpit. 1978 Detroit Free Press 5 Mar. c21/5 (Advt.), 1977 Sea Ray 24{p} 233 Merc cruiser..trim tabs—hydraulic. |
▪ II. trim, a. (adv.)
Forms: 6– trim; also 6 Sc. trume, trvme; trym, trymme, tryme; 6–7 trimme, 7 trimm, trimn.
[History obscure. OE. had an adj. trum, ‘firm, stable, strong, sound, robust’ (not known in the cognate langs.); whence also in prehistoric time the vb. *trum-jan, OE. trymman, trim v. No example of trum is known after OE. times, but the negatives untrum infirm and untrumnesse infirmity survived to c 1200–1225. Afterwards, like trim v., the adj. disappears till after 1500. The modern adj. trim does not answer in form, nor directly in sense, to trum; but in both it goes with the verb. It would appear therefore to be a deriv. of the verb (or, if both came down in ME., to have been conformed to the verb).]
In many early quotations it is difficult or impossible to infer the exact shade of meaning intended. Cf. trig a.1
1. In good condition or order; well prepared, furnished, or equipped; fit, competent, proper, suitable; hence, sound, good, excellent, fine, beautiful. (Often a vague term of approval.)
| 1503–13 [implied in trimly adv. 1]. c 1530 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture 504 Better is it to beate a prowde man then for to rebuke him, For he thinkes in his owne conceyte he is wyse and very trim. 1567 Drant Horace, Art Poetry A iv, For the sage ryghte seriouse wordes be trim. 1577 Holinshed Chron. II. 992/2, xl great carreuelles, and thirtene trymme Barques throughly furnished and appoynted with good mariners and men of warre. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis 879 Ane burges man..Having a trvme schop in the toun. a 1585 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 551 (Harl. MS.) The blaired bucke and bystour..Hes right trume [v.r. trim] teathe, somwhat sett in a thrawe. 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. v. i. 96 'Twas trim sport for them that had the doing of it. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. i. 36 Fragrant violets, and Paunces trim. Ibid. 40 Sweet birdes..Ay caroling of love and jollity, That wonder was to heare their trim consort. 1636 James Iter Lanc. (Chetham Soc.) 6 Gilbert Stone, being for y⊇ time a trimme man of his penne. 1725 Pope Odyss. iv. 1032 The vessel rides,..In all her tackle trim to quit the shore. 1817 Byron Beppo xcvi, The ship was trim. |
† b. (?) Firm. (But perh. sense 1.) Obs.
| 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Jas. i. 28 It taketh no rote in a briery place, ne in marice, nether in the sande..but it requireth a pure, a trymme, and a substaunciall grounde. 1565 W. Allen in Fulke Confut. Purg. (1577) 449 Doe you not see here a trimme faith and a substantiall? |
2. Neatly or smartly made, prepared, or arranged; elegantly or finely arrayed, dressed, or ‘got up’; having a neat, spruce, or tidy appearance or effect. a. Of things: chiefly in sense ‘neat, properly made and properly kept’; † formerly sometimes of dress, smart, pretty, beautiful.
| c 1521 J. Clerk to Wolsey in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 258, ij bokys..coverd with clothe off gold..the porteur, fascio[un] and tryme deckyng of the said bokis. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 246 b, Fillyng vp as trymme as a trencher y⊇ space that stood voide. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 37 Ze [= ȝe] set on schone vpone his feit, The quhilk are trim and wounder meit. 1574 tr. Marlorat's Apocalips 37 This place of Paradise was better furnished and trimmer than other places. 1675 Hobbes Odyssey 232, I him gave a purple double vest, A sword, and coat edged with fringes trim. 1717 Berkeley Tour Italy Wks. 1871 IV. 537 Laurel hedges, but not so trim as ours. 1740 Somerville Hobbinol i. 150 See with what Pomp The gaudy Bands advance in trim Array. 1771 Pennant Tour Scotl. in 1769, 31 The gardens are..trim to the highest degree. 1789 F. Burney Diary 21 Aug., Captain Molloy's large boat..was very trim and neat, and had all its rowers new dressed. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge xxiii, Mr. Chester..completely attired..in the trimmest fashion of the day. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 201 The large and stately mansions, the trim villas. 1886 Ruskin Præterita I. v. 168 The houses on each side with trim stone pathways up to them. |
b. Of persons (rarely animals): Neat, ‘trig’, comely; neatly, smartly, or † finely dressed or adorned.
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. vii. 50 The swyne is not the trymmer for the preciouse stones. 1552 Huloet, Trymme, bellulus, a, um; loke in trycke... Trymme wenche gorgiously decked, phalerata fœmina. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 155 These paintings..whereby the said women think themselves more trim and beautiful. 1681 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. 1247/1 A very trim woman, cultissima fœmina. 1877 M. M. Grant Sun-maid ii, He was rested from his long journey, trim, brushed, and polished. 1888 A. K. Green Behind Closed Doors iv, A trim and quiet girl came tripping to the door. |
† c. ‘Tight’ (?), elegantly-shaped, well-made, handsome, good-looking. Obs.
| 1568 T. Howell Newe Sonets (1879) 146 So streight, so square, so trym was he, So fayre of forme, so wyse, so sage. 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. i. 148 Iupiter..turned her into a trim heaffer. 1600 J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa viii. 304 In the day-time he shall see none but trim and beautifull women. 1635 Brome Sparagus Gard. ii. ii, I warrant you, is he a trim youth? 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich II lxxviii, The Trimmest fellowes of this Regiment Envie'd the Gentry. |
† 3. In ironical use: cf. ‘fine’, ‘nice’, ‘pretty’, in similar use. Obs.
| 1569 J. Sandford tr. Agrippa's Van. Artes 14 b, They..haue spoken of nothinge but trimme trifles. 1573 G. Harvey Letter-Bk. (Camden) 9 Here was stuf gud plenti to furnish up a trim tragedi. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 66 Hath hee not made a trimme speake agaynst us? a 1586 Sidney Arcadia (1622) 370 A trim purchase you haue made of your owne shame. 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Maid's Trag. ii. ii, And there's Another of 'em, a trim cheating souldier, I'le maul that Rascal. 1634 Heywood & Brome Witches Lanc. iii. Wks. 1874 IV. 217 O you are a trim mother are you not? 1680 Otway Ca. Marius iv. i, News quoth a? Trim News truly. |
4. In parasynthetic combinations.
| 1873 B. Harte Fiddletown, etc., D. Varden 87 Trim⁓bodiced, bright-eyed, roguish-lipped. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop xv, Then came the trim-hedged fields on either hand. |
B. adv.
† 1. = trimly 1. Obs.
| c 1540 J. Redford Mor. Play Wit and Sc. (Shaks. Soc.) 37 His toong servth him now trym. 1549–62 Sternhold & H. Ps. xxxv. 26 Let not their hartes rejoyce and cry, There, there, this geare goeth trim. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 11 He plainly taught how good from naught may trim be tride. c 1613 Middleton No Wit like Woman's v. i, Now the bells they go trim, they go trim. |
2. = trimly 2.
| 1529 Supplic. to King (E.E.T.S.) 49 Tryme decked horses, to ryde..lyke a lorde. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. vi. 2 A litle Gondelay, bedecked trim With boughes and arbours woven cunningly. 1594, 1615 Trick and trim [see trick adv. 2]. 1742 Collins Ode Manners 17 Like a bride, so trim array'd. |
3. Comb., as trim-cut, trim-dressed, trim-kept, etc., adjs.
| 1813 Scott Trierm. ii. v, Sick of flower and trim-dress'd tree, Long for rough glades, and forest free. 1861 Thackeray Four Georges i. (1862) 23 The trim-cut forest vistas. 1873 R. Broughton Nancy III. 9 The little trim-swept drive. 1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat 77 The trim-kept villas on the other side. |
▪ III. trim, v.
(trɪm)
Infl. trimmed, -ing. Forms: (1 trymman, trymian, treman), 6 trymme, tryme, (treme), trym, 6–7 trimme, 6– trim, (7 trime).
[The existing senses of this verb begin early in the 16th c. Before 1550 the word had become exceedingly common in nearly all its chief senses. OE. had a verb trymman or trymian:—*trumjan to make firm or strong, strengthen, confirm, set (a force) in array, settle, arrange, etc., f. OE. trum adj. firm, strong, sound, steadfast, stable, etc. So far as the form is concerned, trymman, trymian would naturally become trym, trim by 1500; the sense ‘make fit, make ready, prepare, fit out’ might also arise out of the OE. The difficulty is that not one certain example of the verb in any sense is known during the Middle English period, and that it comes upon the scene in the 16th c., like a new word, quickly laid hold of to supply many needs. But as no other source is known, it is generally held that trim is identical with the OE. trymman, and that the verb (perh. along with trim a.), must have been preserved in spoken use, or in some dialect, for four centuries, without appearing in the extant literature.
OE. had also the compounds ᵹetrymman to confirm, strengthen, encourage, also intr. (for refl.) to grow strong, gain or recover strength, and betrymian to beset with a force, besiege, environ, with 3 examples as late as c 1225 (see bitrum); Genesis & Exodus, c 1250, has also two instances of a vb. trim-en to ‘be pregnant, conceive’, or perhaps to ‘give birth’; but none of these show any approach to the modern senses. The OE. senses and that in Gen. & Ex. are here prefixed as possibly bearing upon the later history.]
I. (Only OE.)
† 1. a. trans. To make firm or strong; to strengthen, confirm; to give as security; to arm or array (a force); to settle, arrange; to encourage, comfort, exhort.
| a 800 Cædmon's Gen. 276 (Gr.) Þæt he west and norð wyrcean ongunne, trymede ᵹetimbro. a 800 O.E. Chron. an. 430 Þæt he hiera ᵹeleafan trymede. c 840 in Kemble Cod. Dipl. II. 5 Ic Berhtwulf..ðas mine ᵹesaldnisse trymme and fæstna in Cristes rode tacne. c 893 K. ælfred Oros. iv. x. §2 Þæs on merᵹen Hannibal ᵹefor to þære byriᵹ, & beforan ðæm ᵹeate his folc ᵹetrymede, þe mon haett Collina... Ac hie hie butan þæm ᵹeate anᵹean Hannibal trymedon. c 897 ― Gregory's Past. C. xv. 88 Ne ᵹe ðone weall ne trymedon ymb hiera hus on ðæm dæᵹe þe him nidðearf wæs. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John v. 31 ᵹif ic cyðnisse ic trymmo [perhibeo] of mec. 971 Blickl. Hom. 91 Men ᵹehyraþ myccle stefne on heofenum swylce þær man fyrde trymme & samniᵹe. a 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) ciii. 15 Hlaf trymeð heortan mannes. 10.. O.E. Chron. an. 1052 Hi..ᵹeræddon þæt man tremede gislas on æᵹðer healfe. |
† b. [(Early ME.) intr. To become pregnant, conceive; ? to bring forth. Obs. (Perhaps does not belong to this word.)
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1024 Bi ðan sal sarra selðe timen, Ðat ȝ[h]e sal of a sune trimen. Ibid. 1198 Ȝhe wurd wið child, on elde wac, And trimede and clepede it ysaac.] |
II. (Mod.Eng.)
† 2. To put into proper condition for some purpose or use; to prepare, make ready; to dress; to get (land) into condition for cropping, to till; to cultivate (a tree). Obs.
| 1517 R. Torkington Pilgr. (1884) 55 The bestys that we rode vpon, [were] ryght weke and ryght simple, and evyll trymed to Jorney with. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. lix. 80 He raysed an engyn in y⊇ Castell, the which was not very great, but he trymmed it to a poynt [orig. lattrempa bien et apoint]. 1578 Lyte Dodoens vi. xxvii. 692 In Brabant..the Corriers and Leather dressers..do trimme and dresse Leather like Spanishe skinnes. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, iii. iv. 56 He had not so trim'd And drest his Land, as we this Garden. 1645 in W. M. Williams Ann. Founders' Co. (1867) 98 Thomas Embry..did trim and make up Brass Works for persons not free of the Company. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 71 Casks..which their coopers assisted us to trim, season and fit up. |
3. To fit out (a ship, etc.) for sea. arch. spec. † to caulk, clean, and dress a ship's bottom: see quot. 1711 (obs.).
| c 1513 E. Howard in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 147 Ther be redy..a c. shippes of warre..they be very well trymmed and will not faill to comme owte and fight with us. 1525–6 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. I. 221 Our..Sovereyn Lorde shall within fewe yerys loose his seyd Shypps..except they be new kalkyd and trymmyd. 1542 Lam. & Piteous Treat. in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) I. 235 Seuen galleyes stronge and well trymmed. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. viii, The Arsenal,..into which are hayled vppe and trymmed the gallies and other vessels. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. ii. 80 As rau'nous Fishes doe a Vessell follow That is new trim'd. 1711 W. Sutherland Shipbuild. Assist. 165 To trim a Ship; to load and equip her, and put her into a condition for Sailing; also to calk, clean, and dress a Ship, and do any small matter in repairing her. 1850 Blackie æschylus II. 258 Xerxes..Trimmed vain fleets for thy undoing. |
† 4. To put (something broken, worn, or decayed) into good condition or working order; to repair, restore, put right. Obs.
| c 1520 Mem. Ripon (Surtees) III. 204 Will'mo Caruer tremyng dorythes & lokes & alias. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Mark i. 14 Who were also trymmyng and mendyng theyr nettes. 1569 Sparke Sir J. Hawkins' 2nd Voy. (Hakl. Soc.) 11 He trimmed the maine mast of the Iesus, which in the storme aforesaid was sprong. a 1628 Preston Breastpl. Love (1631) 114 Your soules need to be trimmed every morning as well as the body. 1633 Munday Stow's Surv. 905 The repairing and trimming of this Church..was in the yeere of our Lord God 1600. a 1687 Petty Treat. Naval Philos. i. ii, All the forementioned Incurvations are to be trimmed and repaired by reconciled lines. |
5. spec. To put (a lamp, fire, etc.) into proper order for burning, by removing any deposit or ash, and adding fresh fuel; also, to cleanse or cut level (a wick); by extension, to renew the burned-out carbons or electrodes of (an arc lamp). Also fig.
| 1557 N. T. (Genev.) Matt. xxv. 7 Then all those virgins arose, & trymmed their lampes [So Rhem. (1582) & 1611; Wyclif (1382) anourneden, (1388) araieden; Tindale (1526), Coverdale (1535), Great (1539), Bishops' (1568) prepared]. a 1701 Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1732) 71 The dayly employment of these Recluses is to trim the lamps. 1764 Goldsm. Trav. 14 Where cheerful guests retire To pause from toil, and trim their evening fire. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxvi, He stopped for a moment to trim the torch. 1819 J. H. Wiffen Aonian Hours (1820) 134 Vesper has trimmed up his lamp for the night. 1902 Sloane Stand. Electr. Dict. App., Trimming, the renewal of the carbons in an arc lamp. |
† 6. To provide or furnish with what is necessary for the purpose in view; to equip, supply. Obs.
| 1523 Wolsey in St. Papers Hen. VIII, VI. 188, 50,000 souldeours largely and plenteously furnished eskipped and trymmed. 1552 Huloet, Trymme a gardeyn wyth beddes. 1552–3 in Feuillerat Revels Edw. VI (1914) 93 Cupid shalbe a letell boy howe mvst be tremmed with a bow and arrows blinfelde. 1557 N. T. (Genev.) Luke xxii. 12 Then he shal shewe you a great hie chamber trimmed [1611 furnished]. 1630 J. Levett Ord. Bees (1634) 20 Do you not usually dresse and trim your hives with some hony, or other sweet liquor, before you put any swarm into them? 1667 Pepys Diary 20 July, And..is married to him that is new come, and hath new trimmed the house. |
7. To array, dress (const. in or with something); to make comely, adorn, dress up (also with out).
| c 1516–21 Dk. Buckhm. to Wolsey in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 216 He dowtid that I was not soo well trymmed as I wolde desir to be. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxlvii. [ccxliii.] 759 All the armorers in London were sette a worke to trymme men in their harnesse for the iustes. 1557 N. T. (Genev.) Rev. xxi. 2 That holy citie..prepared as a bryde trymmed for her housbande. 1604 T. Wright Passions v. §i. 151 Salomon..exhorteth vs..not to looke vpon a woman trimmed and decked vp. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 734 The Victim Ox..Trim'd with white Ribbons, and with Garlands drest. 1756 W. Dodd Fasting (ed. 2) 10 To be deck'd and trimm'd out..in the pride of dress. 1903 N. Munro in Blackw. Mag. Jan. 81/1 She hastened to trim herself before the moon revealed her. |
8. spec. To decorate (a hat, garment, etc.) with ribbons, laces, feathers, flowers, braids, embroideries, or the like, so as to give it a finished appearance; also, of a thing, to form the trimming of. Also fig.
| 1547 in Feuillerat Revels Edward VI (1914) 11, vj Black vellett Cappes..trymyd with damaske golde & Syluer. 1581 Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 59 And who reades Plutarchs eyther historie or philosophy, shall finde, hee trymmeth both theyr garments, with gards of Poesie. 1793 F. Burney Let. May, Miss Kitty trimmed up her best cap, and tried [it] on. 1796 Jane Austen Pride & Prej. xxix, When I have bought some prettier-coloured satin to trim it with fresh. 1859 Habits Gd. Soc. iv. (new ed.) 184 Her dress was white, trimmed down on either side with single roses. 1859 W. Collins Q. of Hearts iii, Trimmed with white braid. |
9. a. To dress (the hair or beard); to clip (the hair), or to clip the hair of (a person); sometimes, to shave (a person); also, to dub (a cock).
| 1530 Palsgr. 762/2, I trymme, as a man dothe his heare or his busshe... Trymme my busshe, barber, for I intende to go amongest Ladyes to day. 1592 Lyly Midas iii. ii, How sir will you be trimmed? wil you haue your beard like a spade, or a bodkin? 1607 Nottingham Rec. IV. 283 We present the barbr..for triming men in serves tyme vppon the Sabott Daye. 1611 Bible 2 Sam. xix. 24 And Mephibosheth..had neither dressed his feete, nor trimmed his beard [Coverdale (1535) combde, Great (1539) shauen, Geneva (1560), Bishops' (1568) dressed], nor washed his clothes. a 1625 in Strutt Sports & Past. (1801) iii. vii. §20 A dunghill cock, neatly cut and trimmed for the battle. 1652 in Verney Mem. (1907) I. 485 The Razors and Sizars hee Trimmed withall. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. lxiv, I sent for another barber and suffered myself to be trimmed. 1856 R. W. Procter Barber's Shop xxi. (1883) 203 The era of the flying barbers, when shops were few, and gentlefolk were trimmed at home. |
b. fig. or in fig. context. To cheat (a person) out of money; to ‘fleece’. slang.
| 1600 Dr. Dodypoll v. ii. in Bullen O. Pl. III. 158 The Marchant I perceive hath trimde you, Doctor, And comb'd you smoothlie. 1604 Dekker Newes from Graves-End Ep. Ded. sig. C, Thou wouldst neuer haue gone to any Barbers in London..but haue bin trimd only there, for they are the true shauers, they haue the right Neapolitan polling. 1917 D. G. Phillips Susan Lenox I. vi. 95 Guileful women, bent on trimming him for anything from a piece of plated jewelry to a saucer of ice cream. 1926 Flynn's 16 Jan. 639/1, I had simply trimmed a sucker for a few kale seeds. 1940 Wodehouse Eggs, Beans & Crumpets 155 Hearing her elders discuss..some burgeoning scheme for trimming the investors. 1955 Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. xxiv. 94 Some of the big circuses carried their own whiz mobs to trim the crowds along the way. 1962 J. Ludwig in R. Weaver Canad. Short Stories (1968) 2nd Ser. 254 Didn't she know he was going to get trimmed? But what did she care about money by that time? |
c. fig. To reduce the size, amount, or number of; to eliminate (wasteful expenditure); to reduce the profits of. Also absol. orig. U.S.
| 1966 Wall St. Jrnl. 21 Nov. 2/2 General Motors Corp. will reduce previously scheduled overtime next month and trim its daily car production pace 3.7%. 1970 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 26 Sept. 33/2 If you really want to trim expenses, you can rent a camper. 1976 National Observer 13 Nov. 12/2 There is the argument over dollar levels of U.S. spending and what waste might be trimmed from the budget as well as what new items should be included. 1979 Daily Tel. 8 Nov. 21/1 Readicut trimmed. Readicut International reveals a 32·5 p.c. drop in interim pre-tax profits. 1981 Times 17 Apr. 1/4 British forces on the Continent are likely to be trimmed. 1982 Times 9 Jan. 17 (heading) American Telephone trims to compete. |
10. fig. To beat, thrash, trounce; to defeat; also, to reprimand, reprove, upbraid, scold (cf. ‘to give one a dressing’).
App. at first an ironical use of sense 2, but afterwards often with allusion to 8, 9 or other sense: cf. the colloq. phr. to trim one's jacket, and the ironical use of dress v. 9, array v. 10. With quots. a 1518, 1638, cf. trim-tram n.
| a 1518 Skelton Magnyf. 2234 Tushe! these maters..are but soppys in ale; Your trymynge and tramynge by me must be tangyd. c 1550 R. Wever Lusty Juventus D j, Tell me..who it was, And I wyl trim the knaue, by the blessed masse. 1638 Ford Fancies iii. iii, Sec. My razor shall be my weapon, my razor. Spa. Why, has not come to the honour of a beard yet; he needs no shaving. Sec. I will trim him and tram him. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. iii, None of your jaw, you swab,..else I shall trim your lac'd jacket for you. 1822 Scott Nigel xxxiii, Some that remember..how I trimmed them about the story of hearkening behind the arras. 1882 Mrs. Raven's Tempt. I. 232 Mrs. Raven stood trimming Worsfold and his wife about harbouring the woman. 1927 S. Lewis Elmer Gantry iii. 40 No, gee, Judson, I guess you got me trimmed! 1950 Wodehouse Nothing Serious 152 Surely..Rodney can trim a man with hay fever? 1977 Chicago Tribune 2 Oct. iii. 16/9 Grand Valley of Michigan piled up 324 yards rushing and 90 yards passing to trim Northeastern Illinois 34–12. |
11. a. To cut off the excrescences or irregularities of; to reduce to a regular shape by doing this. Also with the part removed as object. In quot. 1879 absol. Also with up. Also fig.
| 1594 Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits ix. (1596) 120 A wodden chest knobby and nothing trimmed on the outside. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort., Feb. 60 Trim up your Palisade Hedges, and Espaliers. 1761 Churchill Apol. Poems 1763 i. 72 See tortur'd Reason how they pare and trim And like Procrustes, stretch or lop the limb. 1879 Browning Ivan Ivanovitch 36 His axe now trimmed and toyed With branch and twig. 1885 Law Times LXXIX. 187/2 The farmer has..no inclination..to trim the roadside hedges. 1891 Labour Commission Gloss., Trimming castings, the operation of trimming off with chisel and file the ‘runners’, i.e. rough edges of metal castings. 1893 J. A. Hodges Elem. Photogr. (1907) 105 The manner in which it [a print] has been trimmed and mounted. |
b. transf. See quots.
| 1783 G. Cartwright Jrnl. 8 Oct. (1792) III. 29 As those birds [sc. eider-ducks] trim the shore along in the flight-times. 1895 Funk's Standard Dict., To trim the shore, to follow the shore-outline: said of fish. 1901 Blackw. Mag. Nov. 692/2 They [migrating birds] always ‘trim’ the shore—that is pass close over the headlands. |
12. Carpentry. To bring (a piece of timber, etc.) to the required shape; spec. to trim in, to fit or frame (one piece) to or into another; cf. trimmer 4, trimming-joist (trimming vbl. n. 7).
| 1679 Moxon Mech. Exerc. ix. 153 This Newel serves also for a Post to Trim the Stair-Case too. 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 268 When Workmen fit a piece into other Work, they say they trim in a piece. 1833 Loudon Encycl. Archit. §83 The whole properly trimmed (framed round, leaving a clear opening,) to the chimney shafts. 1842–76 Gwilt Encycl. Archit. Gloss. s.v., A piece of workmanship fitted between others previously executed, which is then said to be trimmed in between them. |
13. Naut. a. To distribute the load of (a ship or boat) so that she floats on an even keel; in quot. 1580, to steady, as with cargo or ballast.
to be trimmed (so much) by the head (or stern), to be built or laden so as to draw (so much) more water at the bows than at the stern (or the reverse).
| 1580 H. Smith in Hakluyt Voy. (1598) I. 448 With all hands she did lighten her sterne, and trimme her head. 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. vi. 27 Trim the Boat is to keepe her straight. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. i. ix. 18 That so the Body may be equally as it were poised, and ballanced, or trimmed, as the Watermen speak of their boats. c 1720 Prior Bibo & Charon 5 Trim the boat, and sit quiet, stern Charon replied. 1800 Local Act 39 & 40 Geo. III, c. x §42 The Lighter trimmed so as to make the same swim at equal Marks at the Stem and Stern thereof. 1820 Scoresby Acc. Arctic Reg. II. 475 For the purpose of trimming the ship more by the stern. |
b. intr. (for refl. or pass.) of a ship or boat.
| 1861 Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. ii, While he had been sitting quiet and merely paddling,..the boat had trimmed well enough. 1889 Welch Naval Archit. i. 7 When the excess draft is aft,..the vessel is said to trim by the stern. |
c. transf. To adjust (the balance) so as to equalize it.
| 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. v. i. 338 How easily the balance among those powers might have been trimmed. 1840 Thirlwall Greece VII. liii. 23 The only way to secure the Macedonian ascendancy.., was to trim the balance of power. 1864 Cobden Speeches (1878) 492, I wanted to trim the scales to prevent there being an undue preponderance in favour of the other side. |
14. Aeronaut. a. To maintain or adjust the trim (sense 3) or inclination of (an aircraft or spacecraft, or part of one). Also absol.
| 1909 Aero Manual 40 Some..device is necessary to damp any oscillations that may take place in the line of flight..but hand operation of the steering devices must also be used to ‘trim’ the machine occasionally. 1921 Discovery Apr. 95/2 When trimmed up by the bow, the airship will be found to ride satisfactorily. 1924 Flight 13 Mar. 149/2 The pilot trims the tail by operating a hand pump..to increase or decrease its angle of incidence. 1942 Tee Emm (Air Ministry) II. 85 If he trims it to fly at a certain speed and power, it should stay at that speed despite bumps. 1958 ‘Castle’ & ‘Hailey’ Flight into Danger vii. 103 Put full flap on, bring your airspeed back to 110 knots and trim to hold you steady. 1976 B. Lecomber Dead Weight i. 12, I ease the throttles back a fraction and trim the nose a touch lower. 1978 Nature 5 Oct. 415/1 The spacecraft gyros were trimmed to the Ganymede celestial motion and Io was subsequently manoeuvered into the large slot. |
b. intr. (for refl. or pass.) of an aircraft.
| 1921 Techn. Rep. Advisory Comm. Aeronautics 1917–18 III. 1023 It should be noted that the ability to trim at high speeds is the one essential point of difference between a seaplane and a racing motor boat. 1923 Flight 31 May 295/2 In order..that the machine would trim correctly..the pilot was placed ahead of the wing, in which position he balances the rest of the machine. |
15. Naut. a. To adjust (the sails or yards) with reference to the direction of the wind and the course of the ship, so as to obtain the greatest advantage. Const. to.
to trim by or on a wind, to set the sails so as to sail as nearly as possible against the direction of the wind: see by A. 9, B. 1 d. to trim full or trim sharp: see full A. 11, sharp adv. 2.
| 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia ii. 24 Nor had we a Mariner nor any had skill to trim the sayles. 1627 ― Seaman's Gram. ix. 42 All your Sheats, Brases, and Tackes are trimmed by a winde. 1667 Dryden & Davenant Tempest i. i, Trim her right before the wind. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. i. ii. 17 Thus have you all the Sails trimm'd sharp, full, and by a Wind. 1697 Lond. Gaz. No. 3315/1, I crouded Sail to Leeward to him, trimming my Sails on a Wind tho' I went before it. 1748 Anson's Voy. iii. v. 342 That which was the stern of the proa, now becomes the head, and she is trimmed on the other tack. 1836 H. Rogers J. Howe i. (1863) 8 The..dexterous pilot..will trim his sails to every variation of wind. 1899 F. T. Bullen Log Sea-waif 336 A little south-easterly breeze sprang up, to which we trimmed the yards. |
b. absol. or intr. Also fig.
| 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1729) I. 145 Next Morning we again trimm'd sharp, and made the best of our way to the Lobos de la Mar. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 21 If the Wind and Tide of Affairs prove too violent, he then certainly trims about. 1833 R. Mudie Brit. Birds (1841) I. 110 The kite feels the first action of the revolving air as if it were a breeze, trims to it, and is borne upward in a spiral. 1857 C. Gribble in Merc. Marine Mag. (1858) V. 9 Trimmed on the starboard tack, and made all possible sail. |
c. transf. and fig. To turn, adjust, adapt. Freq. in phr. to trim one's sails to the wind, to adapt oneself to circumstances.
| 1779 Cowper Pineapple & Bee 12 Having wasted half the day, He trimmed his flight another way. 1821 Scott Kenilw. xxxiv, He could scarce have missed shipwreck, knowing..so little how to trim his sails to a court gale. 1847 Emerson Poems (1857) 187 As the bird trims her to the gale, I trim myself to the storm of time. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 958 We must trim our treatment according to the phases and peculiarities of the individual. 1928 L. Strachey Elizabeth & Essex viii. 112 Burghley, trimming his sails to the changing wind, thought it advisable..to take the side of Essex in the matter of the Spanish ransoms. 1934 J. E. Neale Queen Elizabeth I xiv. 229 She preferred to trim the country's sails to the winds when and how they blew, rather than set them at once for a storm that might not come. 1940 F. L. Allen Since Yesterday x. 275 Fortune..trimmed its sails so skillfully to the winds of conservatism that it not only became a mine of factual material for future historians but subtly broadened reactionary minds. |
16. To stow or arrange (coal or cargo) in the hold of a ship, or carry it to the hatches when discharging; also to shift (coal) in a ship's hold, etc.; also, to arrange (coal) as it is loaded on a truck. Cf. coal-trimmer (coal n. 16).
| 1797 Bailey & Culley Agric. Northumberld. 7 Trimming 2 s. 6 d. keelman's beer 1 s. 4 d. per chaldron. 1828 Joplin Views Currency 14 Corn can be warehoused at Hull, and trimmed and turned for about 2 s. per quarter per annum. 1838 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. I. 397/1 The coals cannot be trimmed in the ships so fast. 1884 Manch. Guard. 24 Jan. 5/1 The cargo was properly stowed and trimmed. 1886 J. Barrowman Sc. Mining Terms 68 To Trim, to arrange by hand the coals on a truck while being loaded. |
17. a. intr. (also with it). To modify one's attitude in order to stand well with opposite parties; to move cautiously, or ‘balance’ between two alternative interests, positions, opinions, etc.; also, to accommodate oneself to the mood of the times.
| 1685 South Serm. (1697) I. 456 Gross, fulsome juggling with their Duty, and a kind of Trimming it between God and the Devil. 1687 Dryden Hind & P. iii. 666 [Non-resistance] A passive term which..trims betwixt a rebell and a king. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, To Trim, to hold fair with both sides. 1766 Earl of March in Jesse Selwyn & Contemp. (1843) II. 67 Lord Mansfield trimmed in his usual manner, and avoided declaring his opinion. 1888 Burgon Lives 12 Gd. Men II. ix. 217 Nothing knew he..of a disposition to trim with the times. |
† b. trans. trim away: To waste (time) in indecision. Obs. rare.
| 1687 Dryden Hind & P. iii. 501 He who heard what every fool could say Would never fix his thoughts, but trim his time away. |
c. trans. To modify according to expediency.
| 1885 Daily Tel. 6 Nov. (Cassell), Lord Hartington is not the sort of statesman to trim his opinions according to the expediency of conciliating or not conciliating. |