grime
[ grahym ]
/ graɪm /
noun
dirt, soot, or other filthy matter, especially adhering to or embedded in a surface.
a style of music influenced by rap, ragga, etc., and characterized by lyrics and imagery that reference the dark side of urban life.
verb (used with object), grimed, grim·ing.
to cover with dirt; make very dirty; soil.
Nearby words
Origin of grime
1250–1300; Middle English grim; apparently special use of Old English grīma ‘mask’, to denote layer of dust; compare dialectal Dutch grijm
Related formsun·grimed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for grime
British Dictionary definitions for grime
grime
/ (ɡraɪm) /
noun
dirt, soot, or filth, esp when thickly accumulated or ingrained
a genre of music originating in the East End of London and combining elements of garage, hip-hop, rap, and jungle
verb
(tr) to make dirty or coat with filth
Derived Formsgrimy, adjectivegriminess, noun
Word Origin for grime
C15: from Middle Dutch grime; compare Flemish grijm, Old English grīma mask
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
Word Origin and History for grime
grime
1580s, of uncertain origin, probably alteration of Middle English grim "dirt, filth" (early 14c.), from Middle Low German greme "dirt," from Proto-Germanic *grim- "to smear" (cf. Flemish grijm, Middle Dutch grime "soot, mask"), from PIE root *ghrei- "to rub." The verb was Middle English grymen (mid-15c.) but was replaced early 16c. by begrime.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper