verb / noun
trim
TRIM/trɪm/
To make something shorter or neater by cutting away a small amount.
He trims the hedge by clipping its protruding tips.
Etymology
Trim may continue trimmen, “strengthen, encourage,” though a gap in the record makes the connection uncertain. The modern verb’s broader sense, “put in proper condition,” connects to making something neat by cutting away unwanted parts.
In context
Trim away your thread. Trim away your pheasant tail fiber. And then you want to trim the gills just off the front of the eye.
More examples
- He asked for a small trim around his ears.
- We trimmed the loose threads from the hem.
- Trim the edge before fitting the panel.
Forms
trim · trims · trimmed · trimming
trimming noun — a small piece cut away