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wimp
[ wimp ]
/ wɪmp /
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noun Informal.
a weak, ineffectual, timid person.
Verb Phrases
wimp out, Informal.
- to be or act like a wimp.
- to show timidity or cowardice; chicken out.
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Origin of wimp
An Americanism dating back to 1915–20; origin uncertain; cf. whimper
Words nearby wimp
Wiltshire Horn, wily, wimble, Wimbledon, wimmin, wimp, wimple, wimp out, wimpy, Wimshurst machine, win
Other definitions for wimp (2 of 2)
WIMP
[ wimp ]
/ wɪmp /
noun
any of a group of weakly interacting elementary particles predicted by various unified field theories, as the W particle and Z-zero particle, that are characterized by relatively large masses.
Origin of WIMP
1985–90; W(eakly)I(nteracting)M(assive)P(article)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use wimp in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for wimp (1 of 2)
Derived forms of wimp
wimpish or wimpy, adjectiveWord Origin for wimp
C20: of unknown origin
British Dictionary definitions for wimp (2 of 2)
WIMP
/ (wɪmp) /
acronym for
windows, icons, menus (or mice), pointers: denoting a type of user-friendly screen display used on small computersa WIMP system
physics weakly interacting massive particle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for wimp
WIMP
[ wĭmp ]
Short for weakly interacting massive particle. Any of various hypothetical particles, some predicted by certain theories such as supersymmetry, which interact with other particles by the force of gravity alone. WIMPs are considered by some scientists to be candidates for the dark matter that makes up much of the mass of the universe.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.