Word: brim Part of Speech: noun 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”) Pronunciation: /bɹɪm/ 1. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge. Example: Yet ſtill that direful ſtroke kept on his vvay, / And falling heauie on Cambellos creſt, / Strooke him ſo hugely, that in ſvvovvne he lay, / And in his head an hideous vvound impreſt: / And ſure had it not happily found reſt / Vpon the brim of his brode plated ſhield, / It vvould haue cleft his braine dovvne to his breſt. Example: As the bright ſunne, vvhat time his fierie teme / Tovvards the vveſterne brim begins to dravv, / Gins to abate the brightneſſe of his beme, / And feruour of his flames ſomevvhat adavv: […] 2. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge. Example: The toy box was filled to the brim with stuffed animals. Example: Better spare at brim than at bottom, say I. 3. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge. 4. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge. Labels: especially Example: He turned the back of his brim up stylishly. Example: And therefore vvould he put his bonnet on, / Vnder vvhoſe brim the gaudie ſunne vvould peepe, […] 5. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge. Labels: archaic, poetic Example: And as they that bare the Arke were come vnto Jordan, and the feet of the prieſt that bare the Arke, were dipped in the brimme of the water, (for Jordan ouerfloweth all his banks at the time of harueſt) That the waters which came downe from aboue, ſtood and roſe vp vpon an heape very farre, […] Example: The steed along the drawbridge flies, / Just as it trembled on the rise; / Not lighter does the swallow skim / Along the smooth lake's level brim. 6. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge. Labels: obsolete Example: [T]he place, of that fyre vnder the earthe, […] is not nye the centre of the earth, bicauſe then, it would eaſily bée corrupted, for the earth, is ther moſt pure and therfore, the vertue doth more floriſh, ſo that it is moſt colde, neither is the place of the fyre, vnder the brimme of the Earth, for if it were ther conteyned, it would burne vp the plants, and whatſoeuer is in the face of the ſame, and therfore be concludeth, that it is in the middle hollowneſſes, betwene theſe two extremes, that is, béetwene the centre, ⁊ the face of the earthe, […] 7. Originally, a border or edge of a sea, a river, or other body of water; now, any border or edge. Labels: figuratively, obsolete Example: For except thou haue borne the croſſe of aduerſitie and temptacion, and haſte felte thy ſelfe brought vnto the very brymme of desperacion, yea ⁊ vnto hells gates, thou canſt neuer medle with the ſentence of predeſtinacion without thine owne harme, and without ſecret wrathe and grudging inwardly agaynſt God, for otherwiſe it ſhal not be poſſible for the [thee] to thinke that God is righteous and iuſte. Example: [T]his cited place lyes upon the very brimme of a noted corruption, vvhich they had, that quote this paſſage, ventur'd to let us read, all men vvould have readily ſeen vvhat grain the teſtimony had bin of, […]