dark-rimmed
UK[ˈdɑːk rɪmd]US[ˈdɑːrk rɪmd]
adj
Having a dark-colored border or edge, especially around the eyes or on an object like glasses.
Morpheme Breakdown
dark
rim
med
dark
color
rim
edge
med
having the quality of
Etymology
The compound adjective "dark-rimmed" is a modern English formation built from native Germanic elements. Its first component, "dark," descends from the Old English deorc, a word of ancient Proto-Germanic origin conveying absence of light. The second element, "rim," traces back to Old English rima, meaning "edge" or "border," also from Proto-Germanic. These two base words are combined in a straightforward descriptive manner, and the adjectival suffix "-ed" (here spelled as "-med" following 'm') is attached to the noun "rim" to create the sense of "having a rim." The logic of the word is transparently literal: it describes an object, most commonly eyeglasses or eyes, characterized by a border or edge that is dark in color.
Analysis
Structure: dark (color) + rim (edge) + med (having the quality of)
- dark: From Old English deorc, meaning "dark, obscure, gloomy." It functions as an adjective describing the absence of light or a deep color.
- rim: From Old English rima, meaning "border, edge, coast." It functions as a noun denoting the outer edge of something circular or curved.
- med: A variant of the suffix -ed, used to form adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, provided with, characterized by." It originates from Old English -ede, -ode, -ad.
Examples
She wore a pair of stylish, dark-rimmed glasses.
His intense, dark-rimmed eyes gave him a serious appearance.
The telescope revealed a planet with a dark-rimmed crater.