grime

[ grahym ]
See synonyms for grime on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. dirt, soot, or other filthy matter, especially adhering to or embedded in a surface.

  2. a style of music influenced by rap, ragga, etc., and characterized by lyrics and imagery that reference the dark side of urban life.

verb (used with object),grimed, grim·ing.
  1. to cover with dirt; make very dirty; soil.

Origin of grime

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English grim; apparently special use of Old English grīma “mask,” to denote layer of dust; compare dialectal Dutch grijm

Other words from grime

  • un·grimed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use grime in a sentence

  • A dozen men dashed out of the gloom ahead, smoke-stained and grimed.

    Colonial Born | G. Firth Scott
  • The lonesomeness of the Big Vacuum was getting grimed into him.

    The Planet Strappers | Raymond Zinke Gallun
  • The black faces were grimed with tears; this changed social condition seemed nothing but a calamity to the well-tended household.

    Mountain | Clement Wood
  • Dust-grimed and silent, their whips curled on their arms, their dogs lean and limping at heel, they passed McNab's.

    The Pioneers | Katharine Susannah Prichard
  • A hemstitched handkerchief, grimed and stained, was loosely twisted around his wrists, partly hiding the handcuffs.

    The Escape of Mr. Trimm | Irvin S. Cobb

British Dictionary definitions for grime

grime

/ (ɡraɪm) /


noun
  1. dirt, soot, or filth, esp when thickly accumulated or ingrained

  2. a genre of music originating in the East End of London and combining elements of garage, hip-hop, rap, and jungle

verb
  1. (tr) to make dirty or coat with filth

Origin of grime

1
C15: from Middle Dutch grime; compare Flemish grijm, Old English grīma mask

Derived forms of grime

  • grimy, adjective
  • griminess, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012