gimp
/ɡɪmp/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.80 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
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.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The plastic cord used in the plaiting and knotting craft scoubidou (lanyard making); or, the process itself.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "I'm a fisher of men and my gimp is doing a saltarello over every body of water to fetch up what it may."
- "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."
- "It consists of seventy fine spun cotton threads, gimped or tied around with thread by a machine similar to that for wrapping bonnet wire."
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Inflected Forms
gimps (plural)
gimps (present, singular)
gimping (participle, present)
gimped (participle, past)
gimped (past)
more gimp (comparative)
most gimp (superlative)