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 of trimmer

• chameleon

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

Spring cleaning is underway, which means lawnmowers, blowers, weedwhackers and trimmers are in overdrive. —Paul Burton, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

Using a conventional electric trimmer would cause tiny hairs to float around in microgravity, which would be a mess. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026

Hui Manu-o-Kū staff tie blue plastic ribbons around the trunks of trees hosting eggs and chicks to alert tree trimmers to stay clear. —ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026

The trimmer was an unpopular stock character of the age. —David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026

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