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The Collaborative International Dictionary
To trim up

Trim \Trim\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Trimmed; p. pr. & vb. n. Trimming.] [OE. trimen, trumen, AS. trymian, trymman, to prepare, dispose, make strong, fr. trum firm, strong; of uncertain origin.]

  1. To make trim; to put in due order for any purpose; to make right, neat, or pleasing; to adjust.

    The hermit trimmed his little fire.
    --Goldsmith.

  2. To dress; to decorate; to adorn; to invest; to embellish; as, to trim a hat.

    A rotten building newly trimmed over.
    --Milton.

    I was trimmed in Julia's gown.
    --Shak.

  3. To make ready or right by cutting or shortening; to clip or lop; to curtail; as, to trim the hair; to trim a tree. `` And trimmed the cheerful lamp.''
    --Byron.

  4. (Carp.) To dress, as timber; to make smooth.

  5. (Naut.)

    1. To adjust, as a ship, by arranging the cargo, or disposing the weight of persons or goods, so equally on each side of the center and at each end, that she shall sit well on the water and sail well; as, to trim a ship, or a boat.

    2. To arrange in due order for sailing; as, to trim the sails.

  6. To rebuke; to reprove; also, to beat. [Colloq.]

    To trim in (Carp.), to fit, as a piece of timber, into other work.

    To trim up, to dress; to put in order.

    I found her trimming up the diadem On her dead mistress.
    --Shak.

Usage examples of "to trim up".

My axe was sharp and I'd split enough rails for fences back in Tennessee to know how to trim up a young tree.

I had all those trees to trim up for the new work on the town hall.