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trimming

[trim-ing] /ˈtrɪm ɪŋ/
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noun
1.
anything used or serving to decorate or complete:
the trimmings of a Christmas tree.
2.
Usually, trimmings. an accompaniment or garnish to a main dish:
roast turkey with all the trimmings.
3.
trimmings, pieces cut off in trimming, clipping, paring, or pruning.
4.
the act of a person or thing that trims.
5.
Informal. a beating or thrashing.
6.
Informal. a defeat:
Our team took quite a trimming.
Origin of trimming
1510-1520
First recorded in 1510-20; trim + -ing1

trim

[trim] /trɪm/
verb (used with object), trimmed, trimming.
1.
to put into a neat or orderly condition by clipping, paring, pruning, etc.:
to trim a hedge.
2.
to remove (something superfluous or dispensable) by or as if by cutting (often followed by off):
to trim off loose threads from a ragged edge.
3.
to cut down, as to required size or shape:
trim a budget; trim a piece of wood.
4.
Aeronautics. to level off (an airship or airplane) in flight.
5.
Nautical.
  1. to distribute the load of (a ship) so that it sits well in the water.
  2. to stow or arrange, as cargo.
  3. to adjust (the sails or yards) with reference to the direction of the wind and the course of the ship.
6.
to decorate or adorn with ornaments or embellishments:
to trim a dress with fur.
7.
to arrange goods in (a store window, showcase, etc.) as a display.
8.
to prepare or adjust (a lamp, fire, etc.) for proper burning.
9.
Informal.
  1. to rebuke or reprove.
  2. to beat or thrash.
  3. to defeat.
10.
to dress or array (often followed by up).
verb (used without object), trimmed, trimming.
11.
Nautical.
  1. to assume a particular position or trim in the water, as a vessel.
  2. to adjust the sails or yards with reference to the direction of the wind and the course of the ship.
12.
to pursue a neutral or cautious policy between parties.
13.
to accommodate one's views to the prevailing opinion for reasons of expediency.
noun
14.
the condition, order, or fitness of a person or thing for action, work, use, etc.
15.
Nautical.
  1. the set of a ship in the water, especially the most advantageous one.
  2. the condition of a ship with reference to its fitness for sailing.
  3. the adjustment of sails, rigging, etc., with reference to wind direction and the course of the ship.
  4. the condition of a submarine as regards buoyancy.
16.
a person's dress, adornment, or appearance.
17.
material used for decoration or embellishment; decorative trimming.
18.
decoration of a store window for the display of merchandise; window dressing.
19.
a trimming by cutting, clipping, or the like.
20.
a haircut that restores the previous cut to neatness without changing the hair style.
21.
something that is cut off or eliminated.
22.
Aeronautics. the attitude of an airplane with respect to all three axes, at which balance occurs in forward flight under no controls.
23.
Building Trades. finished woodwork or the like used to decorate or border openings or wall surfaces, as cornices, baseboards, or moldings.
24.
Automotive.
  1. the upholstery, knobs, handles, and other equipment inside a motor car.
  2. ornamentation on the exterior of an automobile, especially in metal or a contrasting color.
adjective, trimmer, trimmest.
25.
pleasingly neat or smart in appearance:
trim lawns.
26.
in good condition or order.
27.
(of a person) in excellent physical condition:
Swimming is a good way to keep trim.
28.
slim; lean.
29.
Obsolete. good, excellent, or fine.
adverb
30.
trimly.
Idioms
31.
trim one's sails. sail (def 19).
Origin
before 900; probably continuing Old English trymman, trymian to strengthen, prepare (not recorded in ME), derivative of trum strong, active; akin to Irish dron strong, Greek drȳmós coppice, Latin dūrus hard. See tree
Related forms
trimly, adverb
trimness, noun
overtrim, verb, overtrimmed, overtrimming.
pretrim, verb, pretrimmed, pretrimming.
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
1. shear, shave, cut, lop. 6. deck, bedeck, ornament, embellish, garnish. 17. adornment, garnish. 25. compact, trig, spruce.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
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British Dictionary definitions for trimming

trimming

/ˈtrɪmɪŋ/
noun
1.
an extra piece used to decorate or complete
2.
(pl) usual or traditional accompaniments: roast turkey with all the trimmings
3.
(pl) parts that are cut off
4.
(pl) (dialect) ornaments; decorations: Christmas trimmings
5.
(informal) a reproof, beating, or defeat

trim

/trɪm/
adjective trimmer, trimmest
1.
neat and spruce in appearance
2.
slim; slender
3.
in good condition
verb (mainly transitive) trims, trimming, trimmed
4.
to put in good order, esp by cutting or pruning
5.
to shape and finish (timber)
6.
to adorn or decorate
7.
sometimes foll by off or away. to cut so as to remove: to trim off a branch
8.
to cut down to the desired size or shape: to trim material to a pattern
9.
(dialect) to decorate: to trim a Christmas tree
10.
(nautical)
  1. (also intransitive) to adjust the balance of (a vessel) or (of a vessel) to maintain an even balance, by distribution of ballast, cargo, etc
  2. (also intransitive) to adjust (a vessel's sails) to take advantage of the wind
  3. to stow (cargo)
11.
to balance (an aircraft) before flight by adjusting the position of the load or in flight by the use of trim tabs, fuel transfer, etc
12.
(also intransitive) to modify (one's opinions, etc) to suit opposing factions or for expediency
13.
(informal) to thrash or beat
14.
(informal) to rebuke
15.
(obsolete) to furnish or equip
noun
16.
a decoration or adornment
17.
the upholstery and decorative facings, as on the door panels, of a car's interior
18.
proper order or fitness; good shape: in trim
19.
a haircut that neatens but does not alter the existing hairstyle
20.
(nautical)
  1. the general set and appearance of a vessel
  2. the difference between the draught of a vessel at the bow and at the stern
  3. the fitness of a vessel
  4. the position of a vessel's sails relative to the wind
  5. the relative buoyancy of a submarine
21.
dress or equipment
22.
(US) window-dressing
23.
the attitude of an aircraft in flight when the pilot allows the main control surfaces to take up their own positions
24.
(films) a section of shot cut out during editing
25.
material that is trimmed off
26.
decorative mouldings, such as architraves, picture rails, etc
Derived Forms
trimly, adverb
trimness, noun
Word Origin
Old English trymman to strengthen; related to trum strong, Old Irish druma tree, Russian drom thicket

Trim

/trɪm/
noun
1.
the county town of Meath, Republic of Ireland; 12th-century castle, medieval cathedral; textiles and machinery. Pop: 5894 (2002)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for trimming

trim

v.

probably from Old English trymman "strengthen, make ready," from trum "strong, stable," from Proto-Germanic *trumaz; said to be cognate with Sanskrit drumah "tree," Greek drymos "copse, thicket," drys "tree, oak," and Old English treow (see tree). Examples in Middle English are wanting.

Original sense is preserved in nautical phrase in fighting trim (see trim (n.)). Meaning "make neat by cutting" is first recorded 1520s; that of "decorate, adorn" is from 1540s. Sense of "reduce" is attested from 1966. The adjective sense of "in good condition, neat, fit" is attested from c.1500, probably ultimately from Old English adjective trum.

trim

n.

"state of being prepared," 1580s, nautical jargon, from trim (v.). The meaning "visible woodwork of a house" is recorded from 1884; sense of "ornamental additions to an automobile" is from 1922. Slang meaning "a woman regarded as a sex object" is attested from 1955, American English.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang definitions & phrases for trimming

trim

noun

  1. A woman, esp one regarded as an object of sexual conquest (1955+)
  2. The sex act with a woman; ass, cunt, gash: Uou looking for some trim (1960s+)

verb

To defeat utterly; trounce; clobber: They got trimmed 8–zip (1950s+)

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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