brim

¹

[brim]

noun

1. the upper edge of anything hollow; rim; brink.

   the brim of a cup.

2. a projecting edge.

   the brim of a hat.

3. margin.

verb (used without object)

brimmed, brimming 

1. to be full to the brim.

verb (used with object)

brimmed, brimming 

1. to fill to the brim.

brim

²

[brim]

noun

plural

brim ,

plural

brims .

1. Southern U.S.,  bream.

brim

/ brɪm /

noun

1. the upper rim of a vessel

   the brim of a cup

2. a projecting rim or edge

   the brim of a hat

3. the brink or edge of something

verb

1. to fill or be full to the brim

   eyes brimming with tears

Other Word Forms

• brimless adjective
• brimmingly adverb
• unbrimming adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of brim¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English brimme “brink, rim” (earlier, “shore, bank”); apparently akin to Middle High German brem, ( German Bräme ), Old Norse barmr “rim, edge”

Word History and Origins

Origin of brim¹

C13: from Middle High German brem , probably from Old Norse barmr ; see _berm

Idioms and Phrases

see filled to the brim.

Synonym Study

See rim.

Example Sentences

Inside the reunion, the atmosphere brimmed with nostalgia as Romano and the show’s creator, Phil Rosenthal, hosted the live taping from the living room they once brought into millions of households each week.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The late 1990s brimmed with predictions, often contradictory.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

All three sections brim with short essays on various plant species such as rose, clover, iris, violet, daisy and lily of the valley, which Dior fashioned into silhouettes and blossoming decorative surfaces.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With a base of white wine made in New York’s Finger Lakes region, this brand new, very pretty aperitif brimming with tropical botanicals is the season’s must-have spritz-maker.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While European cars don’t typically include Chinese software, Chinese electric vehicles are rapidly gaining traction in the region, many brimming with sensors and connected to the internet through central computers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• fill 
• fill up 
• overflow 
• swell 
• teem