shim

American  

[shim] / ʃɪm /

noun

1. a thin slip or wedge of metal, wood, etc., for driving into crevices, as between machine parts to compensate for wear, or beneath bedplates, large stones, etc., to level them.

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verb (used with object)

shimmed, shimming

1. to fill out or bring to a level by inserting a shim or shims.

shim British  

/ ʃɪm /

noun

1. a thin packing strip or washer often used with a number of similar washers or strips to adjust a clearance for gears, etc

2. physics a thin strip of magnetic material, such as soft iron, used to adjust a magnetic field

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verb

1. (tr) to modify a load, clearance, or magnetic field by the use of shims

Etymology

Origin of shim

First recorded in 1715–25; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

The gaps were supposed to be filled by Boeing mechanics at final assembly with precisely measured pieces of material called shims.

From Seattle Times

My job was to cut long, tapered wood shims on one side and add a cement-stucco finish on the other side of the foundation.

From Seattle Times

Of all the work Schuermann did on the guitar — including steam and heat treatment of the bridge and adding a removable shim for stability — the neck reset was the biggest undertaking.

From Los Angeles Times

Often, the city’s answer is a temporary bevel and shim fix — either grinding down edges on cracked sidewalks or adding a small amount of asphalt to bridge the gaps.

From Seattle Times

The shims in the attachment were incorrectly sized so that the gap exceeded the five-thousandths of an inch allowable in the specification.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• dressing
• layer
• mixture
• stuffing