rim
Americannoun
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the outer edge, border, margin, or brink of something, especially of a circular object.
- Antonyms:
- center
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any edge, margin, or frame added to or around a central object or area.
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the outer circle of a wheel, attached to the hub by spokes.
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a circular strip of metal forming the connection between an automobile wheel and tire, either permanently attached to or removable from the wheel.
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a drive wheel or flywheel, as on a spinning mule.
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Basketball. the metal ring from which the net is suspended to form the basket.
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Journalism. the outer edge of a usually U -shaped copy desk, occupied by the copyreaders.
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Metallurgy. (in an ingot) an outer layer of metal having a composition different from that of the center.
verb (used with object)
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to furnish with a rim, border, or margin.
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(of a golf ball or putt) to roll around the edge of (a hole) but not go in.
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Basketball. (of a basketball) to roll around (the rim of the basket) and not go in.
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to coat or encrust the rim of (a glass).
Rim each cocktail glass with salt.
noun
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the raised edge of an object, esp of something more or less circular such as a cup or crater
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the peripheral part of a wheel, to which the tyre is attached
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basketball the hoop from which the net is suspended
verb
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to put a rim on (a pot, cup, wheel, etc)
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slang to lick, kiss, or suck the anus of (one's sexual partner)
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ball games (of a ball) to run around the edge of (a hole, basket, etc)
abbreviation
Related Words
Rim, brim refer to the boundary of a circular or curved area. A rim is a line or surface bounding such an area; an edge or border: the rim of a glass. Brim usually means the inside of the rim, at the top of a hollow object (except of a hat), and is used particularly when the object contains something: The cup was filled to the brim.
Other Word Forms
- rimless adjective
Etymology
Origin of rim
First recorded before 1150; Middle English; Old English -rima (in compounds); cognate with Old Norse rimi “raised strip of land, ridge”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The arms are forged from motorbike springs and gears, its shoulders are curve from car rims, the spine is moulded from a fuel tank and its knees are pieced together with chains and suspension parts.
From Barron's
Standing on the rim of the hole and peering down at me, he started whining and whimpering and fidgeting around.
From Literature
The islands form the rim of a caldera created by a massive eruption around 3,600 years ago.
From Science Daily
He made a side-to-side move at the rim on his penultimate attempt, then sprinted the length of the court and soared for a windmill jam on his last effort.
From Los Angeles Times
I run my fingers around the rim of my glass while I work up the courage to say what I need to say.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
