TRIM, a. Firm; compact; tight; snug; being in good order. We say of a ship, she is trim, or trim-built; every thing about the man is trim. We say of a person, he is trim, when his body is well shaped and firm; and we say, his dress is trim, when it sits closely to his body and appears tight and snug; and of posture we say, a man or a soldier is trim, when he stands erect. It is particularly applicable to soldiers, and in Saxon, truma is a troop or body of soldiers.

TRIM, v.t.

Firm; compact; tight; snug; being in good order. We say of a ship, she is trim, or trim-built; every thing about the man is trim. We say of a person, he is trim, when his body is well shaped and firm; and we say, his dress is trim, when it sits closely to his body and appears tight and snug; and of posture we say, a man or a soldier is trim, when he stands erect. It is particularly applicable to soldiers, and in Saxon, truma is a troop or body of soldiers.

1. Dress; gear; ornaments. Dryden.
2. The state of a ship or her cargo, ballast, masts, &c., by which she is well prepared for sailing. Trim of the masts is their position in regard to the ship and to each other, as near or distant, far forward or much aft, erect or raking. Mar. Dict. Trim of sails, is that position and arrangement which is best adapted to impel the ship forward. Mar. Dict.

To balance; to fluctuate between parties, so as to appear to favor each. South.

1. In a general sense, to make right, that is, to put in due order for any purpose. The hermit trimm'd his little fire. Goldsmith.
2. To dress; to put the body in a proper state. I was trimm'd in Julia's gown. Shak.
3. To decorate; to invest or embellish with extra ornaments; as, to trim a gown with lace. Dryden.
4. To clip, as the hair of the head; also, to shave; that is, to put in due order.
5. To lop, as superfluous branches; to prune; as, to trim trees. Mortimer.
6. To supply with oil; as, to trim a lamp.
7. To make neat; to adjust. I found her trimming up the diadem / On her dead mistress. Shak.
8. In carpentry, to dress, as timber; to make smooth.
9. To adjust the cargo of a ship, or the weight of persons or goods in a boat, so equally on each side of the center and at each end, that she shall sit well on the water and sail well. Thus we say, to trim a ship or a boat.
10. To rebuke; to reprove sharply; a popular use of the word.
11. To arrange in due order for sailing; as, to trim the sails. To trim in, in carpentry, to fit, as a piece of timber into other work. Moxon. Trim up, to dress; to put in order.

1. To make trim; to put in due order for any purpose; to make right, neat, or pleasing; to adjust.
   
   

   The hermit trimmed his little fire. Goldsmith.

2. To balance; to fluctuate between parties, so as to appear to favor each.
3. Dress; gear; ornaments.
   
   

   Seeing him just pass the window in his woodland trim. Sir W. Scott.

4. Fitly adjusted; being in good order., or made ready for service or use; firm; compact; snug; neat; fair; as, the ship is trim, or trim built; everything about the man is trim; a person is trim when his body is well shaped and firm; his dress is trim when it fits closely to his body, and appears tight and snug; a man or a soldier is trim when he stands erect.
   
   

   With comely carriage of her countenance trim. Spenser.

   So deemed I till I viewed their trim array
   Of boats last night. Trench.

5. To dress; to decorate; to adorn; to invest; to embellish; as, to trim a hat.
   
   

   A rotten building newly trimmed over. Milton.

   I was trimmed in Julia's gown. Shak.

6. Order; disposition; condition; as, to be in good trim.
   
   
   " The trim of an encounter." Chapman.
7. To make ready or right by cutting or shortening; to clip or lop; to curtail; as, to trim the hair; to trim a tree.
   
   
   " And trimmed the cheerful lamp." Byron.
8. The state of a ship or her cargo, ballast, masts, etc., by which she is well prepared for sailing.
9. To dress, as timber; to make smooth.
10. The lighter woodwork in the interior of a building; especially, that used around openings, generally in the form of a molded architrave, to protect the plastering at those points.
    
    

    In ballast trim (Naut.), having only ballast on board. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Trim of the masts (Naut.), their position in regard to the ship and to each other, as near or distant, far forward or much aft, erect or raking. -- Trim of sails (Naut.), that adjustment, with reference to the wind, witch is best adapted to impel the ship forward.

11. To adjust, as a ship, by arranging the cargo, or disposing the weight of persons or goods, so equally on each side of the center and at each end, that she shall sit well on the water and sail well; as, to trim a ship, or a boat.
    
    
    (b)
12. To rebuke; to reprove; also, to beat.
    
    
    [Colloq.]

    To trim in (Carp.), to fit, as a piece of timber, into other work. -- To trim up, to dress; to put in order.

    I found her trimming up the diadem
    On her dead mistress. Shak.