rim

American  

[rim] / rɪm /

noun

1. the outer edge, border, margin, or brink of something, especially of a circular object.

   Synonyms:

   verge, lip

   Antonyms:

   center

2. any edge, margin, or frame added to or around a central object or area.

3. the outer circle of a wheel, attached to the hub by spokes.

4. a circular strip of metal forming the connection between an automobile wheel and tire, either permanently attached to or removable from the wheel.

5. a drive wheel or flywheel, as on a spinning mule.

6. Basketball. the metal ring from which the net is suspended to form the basket.

7. Journalism. the outer edge of a usually U -shaped copy desk, occupied by the copyreaders.

8. Metallurgy. (in an ingot) an outer layer of metal having a composition different from that of the center.

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verb (used with object)

rimmed, rimming

1. to furnish with a rim, border, or margin.

2. (of a golf ball or putt) to roll around the edge of (a hole) but not go in.

3. Basketball. (of a basketball) to roll around (the rim of the basket) and not go in.

4. to coat or encrust the rim of (a glass).

   Rim each cocktail glass with salt.

rim ¹ British  

/ rɪm /

noun

1. the raised edge of an object, esp of something more or less circular such as a cup or crater

2. the peripheral part of a wheel, to which the tyre is attached

3. basketball the hoop from which the net is suspended

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verb

1. to put a rim on (a pot, cup, wheel, etc)

2. slang to lick, kiss, or suck the anus of (one's sexual partner)

3. ball games (of a ball) to run around the edge of (a hole, basket, etc)

RIM ² British  

abbreviation

1. Mauritania (international car registration)

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Related Words

Rim, brim refer to the boundary of a circular or curved area. A rim is a line or surface bounding such an area; an edge or border: the rim of a glass. Brim usually means the inside of the rim, at the top of a hollow object (except of a hat), and is used particularly when the object contains something: The cup was filled to the brim.

Other Word Forms

• rimless adjective

Etymology

Origin of rim

First recorded before 1150; Middle English; Old English -rima (in compounds); cognate with Old Norse rimi “raised strip of land, ridge”

Explanation

A rim is an edge. The rim of a mug is where you put your mouth to drink hot chocolate, and the rim holding a basketball net is where you're aiming when you shoot the ball. People often use the word rim for the lip of a cup or bowl. You can also use the word rim for the circle at the top of a basketball hoop. There's also the rim of a wheel — the part the tire is attached to — and the rim of your eyeglasses. Rim comes from the Old English rima, "edge," which appears in the Old English word særima, "seashore," or "rim of the sea."

Example Sentences

There is also biofilm, a layer made up of mixed microbes that can build up under the toilet rim and across surfaces.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

Doncic scored his final points of the night on a two-handed dunk in transition, methodically jumping off of both feet before barely clearing the top of the rim.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Hormuz is the only shipping channel linking some of the world’s largest energy reserves to global demand, and Iran lines its northern rim.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Previously known more for attacking the rim than for shooting from outside, Jaquez showcased a different dimension.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

A mere six days after it first started erupting, a newspaper ran a picture of a young man who had climbed to the rim of the crater and back down.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• fringe
• ledge
• lip
• perimeter
• periphery