Grime

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡɹaɪm/
• Rhymes: -aɪm

Origin

Middle English grim ("dirt or soot covering the face") from a specialized note of Old English grīma ("mask"). Possibly influenced by Danish grim ("soot, grime"), Old Dutch grijmsel, Middle Dutch grime, Middle Low German greme ("dirt").

Full definition of grime

Noun

1. Dirt, grease, soot, etc. that is ingrained and difficult to remove.
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 14, Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall.  Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime.
2. Underneath all that soot, dirt and grime is the true beauty of the church in soft shades of sandstone.
3. (music) A genre of urban music that emerged in London, England, in the early 2000s, primarily a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop.

Related terms

• grimy adj

Verb

1. To begrime; to cake with dirt
• 1862, Edwin Waugh, Home-Life of the Lancashire Factory Folk during the Cotton Famine Chapter , All grimed with coaldust, they swing along the street with their dinner baskets and cans in their hands, chattering merrily.
• 1920, Harold Bindloss, Lister's Great Adventure Chapter , Fog from the river rolled up the street and the windows were grimed by soot, but Cartwright had not turned on the electric light.
• 1918, Harold Bindloss, The Buccaneer Farmer Chapter , His skin was grimed with dust, for he had ridden hard in scorching heat, and was anxious and impatient to get on.