gimp
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: business
manufacturing
sewing
textiles
Etymology: Attested since about 1660, perhaps from Dutch gimp or French guimpe, and likely from Old French guimpre, a variant of guipure, a kind of trimming.
The regional sense of "gumption" is attested since about 1905, and may have developed due to the reinforced nature of gimp cord, or possibly the influence of the words gumption and gumph.
Inflected forms:
form: gimps
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: gimps
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: gimping
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: gimped
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: gimped
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A narrow ornamental fabric or braid of silk, wool, or cotton, often stiffened with metallic wire or coarse cord running through it, used as trimming for dresses, curtains, furniture, etc. Also guimpe.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: They sat about in black and shiny and flouncey clothing adorned with gimp and beads, eating great quantities of cake, drinking much tea in a stately manner and reverberating remarks.
gloss: Any coarse or reinforced thread, such as a glazed thread employed in lacemaking to outline designs, or silk thread used as a fishing leader, protected from the bite of fish by a wrapping of fine wire.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: I'm a fisher of men and my gimp is doing a saltarello over every body of water to fetch up what it may.
gloss: The plastic cord used in the plaiting and knotting craft scoubidou (lanyard making); or, the process itself.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: Gumption.
pos: noun
tags: Northeastern
US
countable
dated
uncountable
examples: Love them and encourage them, but put some 'gimp' into them.
You haven't got gimp enough to, any more than you could smash the rest of that pint, instead of swallowing it. You're a weakling...
When people put a lot on what their folks used to do, it always means they haven't got gimp enough left to do anything themselves.
gloss: Of yarn, cord, thread, etc., to wrap or wind (surround) with another length of yarn or wire in a tight spiral, often by means of a gimping machine, creating 'gimped yarn', etc. Also, generally, to wrap or twist with string or wire. See gimped.
pos: verb
examples: It consists of seventy fine spun cotton threads, gimped or tied around with thread by a machine similar to that for wrapping bonnet wire.
...low strings later than the mid-seventeenth century are commonly gimped (wound with fine wire on a moderate core) to allow sufficient tension without excessive mass or stiffness.
gloss: To notch or indent; to jag or make jagged; to edge with serrations or grooves.
pos: verb
tags: dated
examples: They are prettier cut and gimped in the shape of wheels.
This active material consists of a tape of pure lead, which is gimped whilst cold with deep grooves and ridges...
Each hole is filled by a rosette of pure lead made by rolling up lead strip or tape which has been gimped or corrugated.
In some cases the leather has to be decorated with perforations while its edges may be serrated or gimped.
Related words: guimpe
Derived words: gimp nail
Translations: