English Explanatory Dictionary

brim

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge.
  2. The topmost lip or rim of a container, or a natural feature shaped like a container.
  3. A projecting rim.
  4. That of a hat.
  5. The upper edge or surface of water.
  6. The surface of the ground.
  7. A brink or edge.
verb
  1. To fill (a container) to the brim (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1.1), top, or upper edge.
  2. To fill (something) fully.
  3. To be full until almost overflowing.
noun
  1. The sea; ocean; water; flood.
noun
  1. Synonym of bream (“a freshwater fish from one of a number of genera”); specifically (US), the redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus).
verb
  1. Of a boar (“male pig”): to mate with (a sow (“female pig”)); to rut.
  2. Of a sow: to be in heat; to rut; also, to mate with a boar.
noun
  1. The period when a sow (“female pig”) is ready to mate; a heat, an oestrus, a rut; also, an act of a boar (“male pig”) and sow mating.
adj
  1. Synonym of breme (“of the sea, wind, etc.: fierce; raging; stormy, tempestuous”).
noun
  1. An irascible, violent woman.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A locality in the Shire of Yarriambiack, north western Victoria, Australia.

Pronunciation

/bɹɪm/ En-us-brim.ogg

Word forms

brim brims brimming brimmed no-table-tags glossary brimmest brimmedst brimmeth more brim most brim

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English brymme, brimme (“bank or edge of a lake or river; shore of a sea; brink; rim”); of unclear origin; compare Middle High German brem (“margin”). The verb is derived from the noun. cognates * Bavarian Bräm (“border, stripe”) * Danish bræmme (“border, edge, brim”) * obsolete German Bräme, Brame (“border, edge”) * Swedish bräm (“border, edge”) * Icelandic barmur (“edge, verge, brink”)

Synonyms

bill hatbrim bulge teem bream breme battle axe bitch brim brimstone cat crow dragon faggot fishwife harpy harridan hellcat jade nag nudnik scold she-devil shrew termagant virago vixen witch

Derived words

abrim brimful brimfully brimless brimmy broadbrim halo brim hatbrim overbrim snapbrim to the brim underbrim brimmed brimmer brimming brim over brimsand

Translations

Bashkir: сит Bulgarian: бряг Bulgarian: край Catalan: vora Czech: okraj Dutch: boord Dutch: rand Finnish: laita Finnish: reuna Galician: aba Galician: beira German: Rand Hungarian: szél Italian: bordo Khmer: មាត់ Middle English: brerd Portuguese: aba Scottish Gaelic: oir
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