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trim

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: Trim and TRIM

English

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Etymology

From Middle English trimen, trymen, trümen, from Old English trymman (“to make firm; strengthen”), from Proto-West Germanic *trummjan, from Proto-Germanic *trumjaną (“to make fast; strengthen”), from Proto-Germanic *trumaz (“firm; strong; sound”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /tɹɪm/, [t̠ʰɹ̠̊ɪm]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪm

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.
    He trimmed his beard before the interview.
    The hedge needs to be trimmed.
    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.
    A ranch steak is usually trimmed of all excess fat.
  2. (transitive) To decorate or adorn; especially of a Christmas tree.
    They traditionally trim the tree on Christmas Eve.
  3. (transitive, aviation, of an aircraft) To adjust the positions of control surfaces, sometimes using trim tabs, so as to modify or eliminate the aircraft's tendency to pitch, roll, or yaw when the cockpit controls are released.
  4. (transitive, nautical, of a vessel) To modify the angle relative to the water by shifting cargo or ballast; to adjust for sailing; to assume, or cause to assume a certain position, or trim, in the water.
  5. (transitive, nautical, of a vessel's sails) To modify the angle (of the sails) relative to the wind, especially to set them at the most advantageous angle.
  7. (dated) To balance; to fluctuate between parties, so as to appear to favour each.
  8. (transitive) To make trim; to put in due order for any purpose; to make right, neat, or pleasing; to adjust.
  9. (transitive, carpentry, of timber) To dress; to make smooth.
  10. (transitive, dated) To rebuke; to reprove.
  11. (transitive, dated) To beat or thrash.
  12. (transitive, historical) To cut back the wick of (a lamp) to maintain a clean, bright flame.
    • 1811, The Tradesman, volume 7, page 420:
      The lamp, or candle, which lights the binnacle, is placed in the cabin, of course the expence of one light is saved, and all the inconveniences of blowing out in a squally night, and likewise the trouble of trimming the lamp, are avoided.
  13. (transitive, by extension) To change the carbon rods of (an arc lamp).
    • 1892, English Mechanic and World of Science, page 444:
      To trim an arc lamp, first remove the old carbons and carefully and thoroughly wipe the carbon rods, holders, &c. with a clean, dry rag. […] Having cleaned the rods, next wipe out the globe and get ready the fresh carbons.

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

trim (countable and uncountable, 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 but came back nearly bald.
  3. Dress; gear; ornaments.
  4. (countable) The manner in which something is equipped or adorned; order; disposition.
    to be in good trim
    • 1614, George Chapman, Andromeda Liberata:
      The measure and whole trim of comeliness
    • 2024 February 7, Philip Haigh, “Railway's fragile resilience”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 3:
      In addition to the numerous traction aspects of the unit's restoration, the team had to create a trim shop in the depot to re-upholster hundreds of seat components.
    2. (especially automotive) Features optionally available on a vehicle; an established configuration of such features within a model (a trim level).
      Holonyms: make; model
      Near-synonym: submodel
      This model of car comes in three different trims.
      If you want air conditioning, you'll need to move up to the next trim level.
      • 2025 September 11, Gabrielle Coppola, Albertina Torsoli, “The Corporate Saga Behind Jeep's Downfall. An iconic brand mismanaged by a French-Italian-American auto conglomerate, a profit-obsessed CEO and a billionaire dynasty. And that was before Stellantis collided with Trump's trade war”, in Bloomberg Businessweek‎:
        Of the many strategic blunders [Carlos] Tavares made during his four-year reign over what was once a $93 billion conglomerate, perhaps his most egregious was the mismanagement of Jeep, Stellantis' crown jewel. He jacked up prices and increased production of Jeep's most expensive trims, without adequately investing in new products, which left gaping holes in an aging lineup and swelling inventory on dealer lots. The extent of the damage became clear in July 2024, when Stellantis reported that its net income had been cut almost in half. By September, exasperated dealers sent an open letter to Tavares accusing him of destroying the company's brands.
      • 2025 October 7, Liam Denning, “Musk's Cheap Teslas Are the Wrong Kind of Cheap”, in Bloomberg Opinion‎, retrieved 7 October 2025:
        Now, it [Tesla Inc] has unveiled two long-awaited cheaper electric vehicles that are most definitely not the game-changers once promised. But are they enough to do the job? It depends on what that job is. […] The models — or rather, trims, since they aren’t new vehicles — unveiled Tuesday are about taking away, not adding. […] there has been a steady drumbeat of positive Tesla news since the shareholder proxy containing the compensation vote came out. This includes includes Musk buying a nominal amount of shares, pulled-forward third quarter EV sales, the first big update of the Full Self Driving software since 2024, and now these new trims — despite signaling enervation rather than innovation. It is here that Tesla's latest additions may do the job even if they don't light up the forecourt.
  5. (uncountable, aviation, of an aircraft) The state of adjustment of control surfaces such that the desired attitude can be maintained without requiring the continuous application of force to the cockpit controls.
  6. (uncountable, aviation, by extension) The mechanism(s) used to trim an aircraft in roll, pitch, and/or yaw.
  7. (uncountable, slang, mildly vulgar) The female genitalia.
  8. (by extension, uncountable, slang, mildly vulgar) Sexual intercourse with a woman.
    • 1969, Maya Angelou, chapter 35, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings‎, New York: Bantam, published 1971, pages 239–240:
      "Take me somewhere."
      His response lacked dignity, but in fairness to him I admit that I had left him little chance to be suave.
      He asked, "You mean, you’re going to give me some trim?"
  9. (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.
  10. (nautical) The arrangement of the sails with reference to the wind.
  11. (printing, binding, publishing) Any of the three cut edges of book pages, trimmed with a shear after binding.
  12. (uncountable, underwater diving) The horizontal position of an underwater water

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

trim (comparative trimmer, superlative trimmest)

  1. Physically fit.
    He goes jogging every day to keep in trim.
  2. Slender, lean.
    a trim figure
  3. Neat or smart in appearance.
    a trim lawn
    • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
      […] manhood is melted into curtsies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie and swears it.
    • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
      “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, […].

Translations

Adverb

trim (not comparable)

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

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