trim

a. [ Compar. Trimmer superl. Trimmest. ] [ See Trim, v. t. ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

With comely carriage of her countenance trim. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

So deemed I till I viewed their trim array
Of boats last night. Trench. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Dress; gear; ornaments. [ 1913 Webster ]

Seeing him just pass the window in his woodland trim. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Order; disposition; condition; as, to be in good trim. “ The trim of an encounter.” Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The state of a ship or her cargo, ballast, masts, etc., by which she is well prepared for sailing. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Arch) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Trimmed p. pr. & vb. n. Trimming. ] [ OE. trimen, trumen, AS. trymian, trymman, to prepare, dispose, make strong, fr. trum firm, strong; of uncertain origin. ] 1. To make trim; to put in due order for any purpose; to make right, neat, or pleasing; to adjust. [ 1913 Webster ]

The hermit trimmed his little fire. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dress; to decorate; to adorn; to invest; to embellish; as, to trim a hat. [ 1913 Webster ]

A rotten building newly trimmed over. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

I was trimmed in Julia's gown. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Carp.) To dress, as timber; to make smooth. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Naut.) (a) 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) To arrange in due order for sailing; as, to trim the sails. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To rebuke; to reprove; also, to beat. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To trim in (Carp.), to fit, as a piece of timber, into other work. --
To trim up, to dress; to put in order. [ 1913 Webster ]

I found her trimming up the diadem
On her dead mistress. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To balance; to fluctuate between parties, so as to appear to favor each. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. tri- + maculated. ] Marked with three spots, or maculae. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. tri- + L. mel, gen. mellis, honey. ] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, a certain tribasic acid (called also trimellitic acid) metameric with trimesitic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. trimembris triplemembered. See Tri-, and Member. ] Having, or consisting of, three members. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Tri-, and -mere. ] (Zool.) A division of Coleoptera including those which have but three joints in the tarsi. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of the Trimera. Also used adjectively. [ 1913 Webster ]