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   trim

   /trɪm/

   verb

   • 1. make (something) neat or of the required size or form by cutting away irregular or unwanted parts: "trim the grass using a sharp mower" Similar cutbarbercropbobshortenclipsnipshearprunepollardmowneatenshapetidy upeven up
   • ▪ cut off (irregular or unwanted parts): "he was trimming the fat off some pork chops" Similar cut offremovetake offchop offlop offshave offhack offnip off
   • ▪ reduce the size, amount, number, or cost of: "Congress had to decide which current defence programmes should be trimmed" Similar reducedecreasemake reductions incut downcut back onmake cutbacks inscale downpruneslim downpare downsalami-slicedockretrench onshortenabridgecondenseabbreviatetelescopetruncatecurtail
   • ▪ (of a person) lose weight; become slimmer: "he trimmed down from twenty-two stone to a mere eighteen"
   • ▪ firm up or lose weight from (a part of one's body): "the machine is ideal for trimming the waist, hips, and thighs"
   • 2. decorate (something), typically with contrasting items or pieces of material: "a pair of black leather gloves trimmed with fake fur" Similar decorateadornornamentembellishedgepipeborderhemfringeliterary:bedizen
   • 3. adjust (a sail) to take advantage of the wind: "her jobs include trimming the spinnaker and dealing with the yacht's plumbing"
   • ▪ adjust the balance of (a ship or aircraft) by rearranging its cargo or by means of its trim tabs.
   • ▪ keep or adjust the degree to which (an aircraft) can be maintained at a constant altitude without any control forces being present.
   • ▪ adapt one's views to the prevailing political trends for personal advancement.
   • 4. get the better of (someone), typically by cheating them out of money. informal, dated
   • 5. rebuke (someone) angrily. informal, dated

   noun

   • 1. additional decoration, typically along the edges of something and in contrasting colour or material: "a red blazer with gold trim" Similar decorationtrimmingornamentationadornmentembellishmentborderedgingpipingpurflingrickrackhemfringefrill
   • ▪ decorative additions to a vehicle, typically the upholstery or interior lining of a car: "refinements such as air conditioning and leather trim"
   • 2. an act of cutting something in order to neaten it: "his hair needs a trim" Similar haircutcutbarberingclipsnippruningtidy-up
   • ▪ a short piece of film cut out during the final editing stage.
   • 3. the state of being in good order or condition: "no one had been there for months—everything was out of trim"
   • 4. the degree to which an aircraft can be maintained at a constant altitude without any control forces being present: "the pilot's only problem was the need to constantly readjust the trim"
   • 5. the way in which a ship floats in the water, especially in relation to the fore-and-aft line: "ships' masters had to check trim and stability before departure"

   adjective

   • 1. neat and smart in appearance; in good order: "his face was freshly shaved, his clothes neat and trim" Similar smartstylishchicsprucedapperelegantcrispinformal:nattysharpspiffyarchaic:trigneattidyneat and tidyas neat as a new pinorderlyin (good) orderwell keptwell looked-afterwell maintainedshipshape (and Bristol fashion)in apple-pie orderimmaculatespick and spanunclutteredstraightsprucearchaic:tricksyOpposite untidymessyscruffy
   • ▪ slim and fit: "she has a trim, athletic figure" Similar slimslenderleanclean-limbedsleekwillowylissomsylphlikesveltesnake-hippedstreamlinedOpposite fat

   Word Origin Old Englishtrymman, trymian ‘make firm, arrange’, of which the adjective appears to be a derivative. The word's history is obscure; current verb senses date from the early 16th century when usage became frequent and served many purposes: this is possibly explained by spoken or dialect use in the Middle English period not recorded in extant literature.

   Derivatives

   • 1. trimly adverb
   • 2. trimness noun

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • T

     1

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • M

     3

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