trimmer

noun

trim·​mer ˈtri-mər 

1

a(1)

: one that trims articles

(2)

: one that stows coal or freight on a ship so as to distribute the weight properly

b

: an instrument or machine with which trimming is done

c

: a circuit element (such as a capacitor) used to tune a circuit to a desired frequency

2

: a beam that receives the end of a header in floor framing

3

: a person who modifies a policy, position, or opinion especially out of expediency

Synonyms

• acrobat
• chameleon
• chancer [British]
• opportunist
• temporizer
• timeserver
• weathercock

Examples of trimmer in a Sentence

gradually fading in the primaries, the former front-runner watched helplessly as the trimmers rushed to embrace the party's newest rising star

last year's winner of the tournament unexpectedly got trimmed in the first round, and the trimmer was a young player that no one had ever heard of

Recent Examples on the Web

My dad, who was a landscaper and a tree trimmer, usually worked on Saturdays. —Gwen Rockwood The Rockwood Files, arkansasonline.com, 10 Oct. 2024

This versatile electric razor includes a precision trimmer and a close-shave foil head, plus adjustable guards for customized hair lengths. —Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024

Hedge trimmer: on sale for $137 Original price: $199.99 Make trimming your hedges easier than ever with a Dewalt hedge trimmer. —Christopher Murray, Fox News, 4 Oct. 2024

Special nail trimmers will help you to keep them trim without cutting the quick, which can be painful. —Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing trimmer

• string trimmer