rim
UK[rɪm]US[rɪm]
n
The outer, often curved or circular, edge of something, especially a wheel, cup, or geographic feature.
n
A circular metal frame forming part of a wheel, onto which the tire is fitted.
v
To be around or along the edge of something.
Etymology
The word 'rim' traces its lineage directly to Old English rima, meaning "border, edge, or coast." This term is cognate with Old Norse rimi, which referred to a "ridge" or "strip of land," suggesting a shared Germanic ancestor. The core concept has consistently centered on the defining boundary or outermost limit of an object. Over time, its application narrowed and specialized, moving from broad geographical borders to the precise, often circular, edges of man-made objects like wheels, glasses, and containers, while retaining its fundamental sense of a defining periphery.
Analysis
The word 'rim' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It functions as a single, unanalyzable morpheme in Modern English.
Examples
The coffee had spilled over the rim of the mug.
He carefully fitted the new tire onto the alloy rim.
Thick forests rim the northern shores of the lake.