trimmer

noun

trim·​mer ˈtri-mər 

1

a(1)

: one that trims articles

(2)

: one that stows coal or freight on a ship so as to distribute the weight properly

b

: an instrument or machine with which trimming is done

c

: a circuit element (such as a capacitor) used to tune a circuit to a desired frequency

2

: a beam that receives the end of a header in floor framing

3

: a person who modifies a policy, position, or opinion especially out of expediency

Synonyms

• acrobat
• chameleon
• chancer [British]
• opportunist
• temporizer
• timeserver
• weathercock

Examples of trimmer in a Sentence

gradually fading in the primaries, the former front-runner watched helplessly as the trimmers rushed to embrace the party's newest rising star

last year's winner of the tournament unexpectedly got trimmed in the first round, and the trimmer was a young player that no one had ever heard of

Recent Examples on the Web

Here are our top picks, including sleek travel trimmers and powerful multitaskers. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 16 May 2025

The Phoenix Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that officers responded to the scene to assist efforts to rescue a man — identified as tree trimmer Jaime Yepiz, 43 — from a palm tree in a residential backyard. —David Chiu, People.com, 13 May 2025

The smaller pockets lining the outside of the bags can hold all your gardening tools like trimmers, trowels and small rakes. —Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025

The best bikini trimmers can completely transform your shaving routine with minimal effort. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing trimmer

• string trimmer

Rhymes for trimmer

• brimmer
• dimmer
• glimmer
• grimmer
• nimmer
• rimmer
• shimmer
• simmer
• skimmer
• slimmer
• swimmer
• timmer