▪ I. dim, a. and n.
(dɪm)
Forms: 1– dim; also 3–4 dime, 4 dyme, 4–6 dym, dymme, 5 dimm, 6 dymbe, 6–7 dimme, 7 dimn, dimb.
[OE. dim(m = OFris. dim, ON. dimm-r. Cf. OHG. timbar (MHG. timber, timmer, mod.Swiss. dial. timmer) ‘dim, obscure, dark’, which may represent an OTeut. *dim-ro- and contain the same root. Not known outside Teutonic.]
A. adj.
1. a. Of a light, or an illuminated object: Faintly luminous, not clear; somewhat dark, obscure, shadowy, gloomy. The opposite of bright or clear.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Sat. 455 (Gr.) Drihten sealde him dimne and deorcne deaþes scuwan. a 1000 Boeth. Metr. ii. 11 On þis dimme hol. Ibid. xii. 16 Sio dimme niht. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 286 Euerilc on ðat helden wid him, ðo wurðen mirc, and swart, and dim. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 472 Dryf ouer þis dymme water. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 467 Whan þe day is dym and clowdy. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. x. v. (1495) 377 The flamme yeuyth dymme and derke lighte. 1508 Fisher Wks. (1876) 68 O dymbe cloude. 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 38 Fayr dyana, the lantern of the nycht, be cam dym ande pail. 1632 Milton Penseroso 160 Storied windows richly dight, Casting a dim religious light. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. vi. §31 A light, dimmer indeed, or clearer, according to the place. c 1750 Shenstone Elegies iv. 1 Through the dim veil of ev'ning's dusky shade. 1820 Shelley Witch Atl. xii. 2 Her beauty made The bright world dim. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. ii. 16 The oftener light is reflected the dimmer it becomes. |
b. fig. esp. of qualities usually clear or bright.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 685 (Gr.) Hio speon hine on ða dimman dæd. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 111 That..did awai his dedes dim, And mad an hali man of him. c 1400 Rom. Rose 5353 Love is..whilom dymme, & whilom clere. 1661–98 South 12 Serm. III. 287 Man's..Understanding must now be contented with the poor, dimn Light of Faith. 1817–8 Shelley Ros. & Hel. 692 Public hope grew pale and dim. 1874 Morley Compromise (1886) 36 The old hopes have grown pale, the old fears dim. |
2. a. Not clear to the sight; obscured by an intervening imperfectly transparent medium, by distance, or by blurring of the surface; scarcely visible, indistinct, faint; misty, hazy.
| c 1000 Martyrology (E.E.T.S.) 46 Seo byrᵹen is bewriᵹen mid dimmum stanum ond yfellicum. 1632 Sanderson Serm. 436 Dimme and confused and scarce legible. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. i. ii. 5 At a great distance of place, that which wee look at appears dimme. 1654 Fuller Two Serm. 58 Civilized Pagans..have scowred over the dimme inscription of the Morall Law that it appeared plaine unto them. 1818 Shelley Eugan. Hills 19 The dim low line before Of a dark and distant shore Still recedes. 1856 Stanley Sinai & Pal. i. (1858) 69 One more glimpse of Egypt dim in the distance. |
b. fig. Not clear to the mind or understanding; obscure, faint.
| c 1350 Leg. Rood (1871) 93 Vnto me es þis mater dym. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 121 Dymme, or harde to vndyrstonde, misticus. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1965/2 Like to be buried in the dimme booke of obliuion. 1821 Lamb Elia Ser. i. Old & New Schoolm., I have most dim apprehensions of the four great monarchies. 1836 Kingsley Lett. (1878) I. 33 There were dim workings of a mighty spirit within. 1871 R. Ellis Catullus lxviii. 52 (50) A memory dim. |
3. Of colour: Not bright; dull, faint; dusky or dark; lustreless.
| a 1250 Owl & Night. 577 Thu art dim, an of fule howe. 1535 Coverd. Lam. iv. 1 O, how is the golde become so dymme? 1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 36 For the Rayne⁓bow is more dimme, and of purple colour. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iv. 119 Violets dim, But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes. 1728 Young Love Fame v. (1757) 127 Others, with curious arts, dim charms revive. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods i. iii. 5 All retired and shady spots Where prosper dim forget-me-nots. |
4. a. Not seeing clearly, having the eyesight dulled and indistinct.
| a 1220 Bestiary 60 Siðen his fliȝt is al unstrong, and his eȝen dimme. a 1300 Cursor M. 3570 (Cott.) Þe freli fax [biginnes] to fal of him, And þe sight to wax well dim. c 1422 Hoccleve Learn to Die 228 Myn yen been al dymme and dirke. 1535 Coverdale Eccl. xii. 2 The sight of the wyndowes shal waxe dymme. 1577 Test. 12 Patriarchs (1604) 17 Jacob..somewhat dim for age. 1636 Massinger Gt. Dk. Florence iii. i, I am dim, sir; But he's sharp⁓sighted. 1766 Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767) II. viii. 8 Unheeded by the dim inattentive eye. 1842 Tennyson Two Voices 151 Whose eyes are dim with glorious tears. |
b. fig. Not clearly apprehending; dull of apprehension. Applied to a person: not ‘bright’ intellectually; somewhat stupid and dull.
| a 1729 J. Rogers Serm. (J.), The understanding is dim, and cannot by its natural light discover spiritual truth. 1731 Fielding Grub Str. Op. Introd., Men's sense is dimmer than their eyes. 1878 B. Taylor Deukalion i. iv. 33 Teach your dim desire A form whereby to know itself and seek. 1892 Stevenson & Osbourne Wrecker xxi. 325 He's a very pleasing creature, rather dim, and dull, and genteel, but really pleasing. 1910 R. Brooke Let. 3 July (1968) 243 They were very dim, and said, couldn't we find an advance agent? 1916 Beerbohm in Cornhill Mag. June 719 The young writers of that era..strove earnestly to be distinct in aspect. This man had striven unsuccessfully..I decided that ‘dim’ was the mot juste for him. 1923 J. Trevelyan Life of Mrs. H. Ward x. 192 Teachers and many ‘dim’ people of various professions would find her as accessible as her strenuous hours of labour would allow. 1924 ‘W. Fabian’ Sailors' Wives v. 63 The sexperts, which is a combination of sex and expert: I glued it together myself. Not so dim; yes? 1933 J. C. Masterman Oxford Tragedy xv. 229 The dim little research Fellow with clumsy manners and no conversation. 1950 Listener 7 Dec. 709/2 Constable and Turner were neglected and the dim and second-rate were crowned with triumphant laurels. |
c. Of a thing, situation, etc.: dull, poor, undistinguished.
colloq.| 1958 B. Hamilton Too Much Water xi. 248, I personally had rather a dim war. Ibid. xii. 266 A rather dim situation for the M.C.C. |
d. Colloq. phr. to take a dim view: see
view n. 5. transf. Of sound, and
esp. of the voice: Indistinct, faint.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1575 He herde a murmurynge Ful lowe and dym. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxi, (1495) 128 They that haue grete tongues haue dymme voyce. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 3672 His speche was bathe short and dym. 1795 Southey Vis. Maid of Orleans i. 124 The damp earth gave A dim sound as they pass'd. 1817 Shelley Marianne's Dream 40 She then did hear The sound as of a dim low clanging. |
B. n. a. Dimness; obscurity; dusk.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 755 The day vp droghe & the dym voidet. c 1430 Hymns Virg. (1867) 53 He liȝtneþ his folk in dym. 1509 Parl. Deuylles xciii, Quod Symeon, ‘he lyghtneth his folke in dym Where as derkenes shedeth theyr states’. 1857 Heavysege Saul (1869) 87 To sit were pleasant, in the dim. |
b. Dimness of vision.
| 1726 Law Chr. Perfect. i. 30 Further than the Dim of Eyes of Flesh can carry our Views. |
† C. adv. Dimly, faintly, indistinctly.
Obs.| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 293 He herde a vois, which cried dimme. 1821 Shelley Adonais liv, That Light..Which..Burns bright or dim, as each are mirrors of The fire. |
D. Comb. a. adverbial, as
dim-brooding,
dim-coloured,
dim-discovered,
dim-gleaming,
dim-grey,
dim-lighted,
dim-lit (
dim-litten),
dim-remembered,
dim-seen,
dim-yellow, etc.
b. parasynthetic, as
dim-browed,
dim-eyed,
dim-lettered,
dim-sheeted,
dim-sighted.
| 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. iv. iv. 166 The whole Future is there, and Destiny *dim-brooding. |
| 1776 Mickle tr. Camoens' Lusiad 43 And night, ascending from the *dim-brow'd east. |
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xvii. 79 Þai er mare *dymme coloured þan þe cristall. |
| 1746 Collins Ode to Evening x, Hamlets brown, and *dim-discover'd spires. |
| 1627–47 Feltham Resolves i. xcvi. 302 The ghessive interpretations of *dim-ey'd man. 1829 Carlyle Misc. (1857) I. 273 The public is a dim-eyed animal. |
| 1840 Clough Early Poems v. 11 Through the *dim-lit inter-space. |
| 1870 Morris Earthly Par. II. iii. 9 After the weary tossing of the night And close *dim-litten chamber. |
| 1827 Moir Dead Eagle ii, Down, whirling..to the *dim-seen plain. |
| 1859 Tennyson Enid 600 Fair head in the *dim-yellow light. |
▪ II. dim, v. [f. dim a.: OE. had the compounds adimmian, fordimmian, ON. the intr. dimma to become dim; the simple vb. is found from 13th c.] 1. intr. To grow or become dim; to lose brightness or clearness.
lit. and
fig.| a 1300 Christ on Cross 7 in E.E.P. (1862) 20 His fair lere falowiþ and dimmiþ is siȝte. a 1300 Cursor M. 23695 (Cott.), Mani flurs..þat neuermar sal dime ne duine. c 1400 Destr. Troy 9932 The day ouerdrogh, dymmet the skewis. 1607 Brewer Lingua i. viii, Suddenly mine eyes began to dim. ? c 1710 ? E. Ward Welsh-monster 28 My Lady's Beauty, tho' divine, Would dim, without the Muses shine. 1814 Byron Lara i. xii, The lone light Dimm'd in the lamp. 1871 B. Taylor Faust (1875) II. iv. ii. 250 The near horizon dims. |
2. a. trans. To make dim, obscure, or dull; to render less clear, or distinct; to becloud (the eyes).
| [c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxiv §4 Ðeah heora mod..sie adimmad.] a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxviii. 24 Dimmed be þair eghen, þat þai ne se. c 1400 Song Roland 580 Dew diskid adoun and dymmyd the floures. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 121 Dymmyn, or make dymme, obscuro. 1530 Palsgr. 516/3, I dymme the coloure or beautye of a thyng..Se howe these torches have dymmed this gylting. 1592 Davies Immort. Soul xxxi. viii. (1714) 109 As Lightning, or the Sun-beams dim the Sight. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 184 ¶1 The writer of essays..seldom..dims his eyes with the perusal of antiquated volumes. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. I. 202 The light streamed through windows dimmed with armorial bearings. 1836 Landor Pericles & Asp. II. 393 The mirror is too close to our eyes, and our own breath dims it. |
b. fig.| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 35 b, It dymmeth or maketh derke theyr lytell holynesse. 1659 B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 109 Forced the Conquerours to retreat, and in some sort, dimmed their Triumph. 1840 Kingsley Lett. (1878) I. 49 My natural feelings of the just and the beautiful have been dimmed by neglect. 1851 D. G. Mitchell Fresh Glean. 275 Its quaint houses..are dimmed to memory by the fresher recollections of that beautiful river. |
c. to dim out: to reduce the brightness of (street-lighting, etc.),
esp. in time of war; to impose a ‘dim-out’ on (a city, etc.).
| 1942 Amer. Speech XVII. 204/2 The city was dimmed-out. 1945 Daily Express 20 Apr. 1/8 Street lighting need no longer be dimmed out. |
▪ III. † dim, n. Obs. Abbreviation of L.
dimidium half.
| 1477 Churchw. Acc. Croscombe (Somerset Rec. Soc.) 6 Hath in his hands of the Cherche lede one cwt, dim, iiij lb. 1634–5 Brereton Trav. (1844) 22 Adorned with stones a yard and dim. high. Ibid. 180 A vault or gallery about one yd. or one yd. and dim. wide. |
▪ IV. dim obs. form of
deem v.