What is "dimmer"

Dim \Dim\, a. [Compar. Dimmer; superl. Dimmest.] [AS. dim; akin to OFries. dim, Icel. dimmr: cf. MHG. timmer, timber; of uncertain origin.]

1. Not bright or distinct; wanting luminousness or clearness; obscure in luster or sound; dusky; darkish; obscure; indistinct; overcast; tarnished.

   The dim magnificence of poetry.
   --Whewell.

   How is the gold become dim!
   --Lam. iv. 1.

   I never saw The heavens so dim by day.
   --Shak.

   Three sleepless nights I passed in sounding on, Through words and things, a dim and perilous way.
   --Wordsworth.

2. Of obscure vision; not seeing clearly; hence, dull of apprehension; of weak perception; obtuse.

   Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow.
   --Job xvii. 7.

   The understanding is dim.
   --Rogers.

   Note: Obvious compounds: dim-eyed; dim-sighted, etc.

   Syn: Obscure; dusky; dark; mysterious; imperfect; dull; sullied; tarnished.

1822, agent noun from dim (v.). Of mechanisms for reducing the brightness of electric lights, from 1905.

a. (en-comparativedim) n. 1 A rheostat that is used to vary the intensity of a domestic electric light 2 A switch used to select between the low and high headlamp beam on a road vehicle. (usually as "dimmer switch", primarily in North America; elsewhere "dipswitch" or "dipper switch")

1. adj. lacking in light; not bright or harsh; "a dim light beside the bed"; "subdued lights and soft music" [syn: subdued]

2. lacking clarity or distinctness; "a dim figure in the distance"; "only a faint recollection"; "shadowy figures in the gloom"; "saw a vague outline of a building through the fog"; "a few wispy memories of childhood" [syn: faint, shadowy, vague, wispy]

3. made dim or less bright; "the dimmed houselights brought a hush of anticipation"; "dimmed headlights"; "we like dimmed lights when we have dinner" [syn: dimmed] [ant: undimmed]

4. offering little or no hope; "the future looked black"; "prospects were bleak"; "Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult"- J.M.Synge; "took a dim view of things" [syn: black, bleak]

5. slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him"; "never met anyone quite so dim"; "although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students" [syn: dense, dull, dumb, obtuse, slow]

6. [also: dimming, dimmed, dimmest, dimmer]

n. a rheostat that varies the current through an electric light in order to control the level of illumination

1. v. switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam [syn: dip]

2. become or make darker; "The screen darkend"; "He darkened the colors by adding brown" [syn: darken] [ant: brighten]

3. become dim or lusterless; "the lights dimmed and the curtain rose"

4. make dim or lusterless; "Time had dimmed the silver"

5. make dim by comparison or conceal [syn: blind]

6. become vague or indistinct; "The distinction between the two theories blurred" [syn: blur, slur] [ant: focus]

7. [also: dimming, dimmed, dimmest, dimmer]

See dim

Dimmers are devices used to lower the brightness of a light. By changing the voltage waveform applied to the lamp, it is possible to lower the intensity of the light output. Although variable-voltage devices are used for various purposes, the term dimmer is generally reserved for those intended to control light output from resistive incandescent, halogen, and (more recently) compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). More specialized equipment is needed to dim fluorescent, mercury vapor, solid state and other arc lighting.

Dimmers range in size from small units the size of a light switch used for domestic lighting to high power units used in large theatre or architectural lighting installations. Small domestic dimmers are generally directly controlled, although remote control systems (such as X10) are available. Modern professional dimmers are generally controlled by a digital control system like DMX or DALI. In newer systems, these protocols are often used in conjunction with ethernet.

In the professional lighting industry, changes in intensity are called “fades” and can be “fade up” or “fade down”. Dimmers with direct manual control had a limit on the speed they could be varied at but this issue has been largely eliminated with modern digital units (although very fast changes in brightness may still be avoided for other reasons like lamp life).

Modern dimmers are built from semiconductors instead of variable resistors, because they have higher efficiency. A variable resistor would dissipate power as heat and acts as a voltage divider. Since semiconductor or solid-state dimmers switch between a low resistance "on" state and a high resistance "off" state, they dissipate very little power compared with the controlled load.

Dimmer was the name under which New Zealand musician Shayne Carter (formerly of Straitjacket Fits, The DoubleHappys, and Bored Games) recorded and played music from 1995-2012. Beginning as an umbrella name for jam sessions and home recordings, various band members and guests appeared on Dimmer's albums and in its live line-ups. From 2007-2009 Dimmer was a settled four-piece band. Over the full 17-year span, Carter was the only permanent member.

Dimmer's music was admired by critics and all four albums earned multiple New Zealand Music Award nominations. The first Dimmer single was released in 1995, with debut album I Believe You Are A Star following in 2001. In 2004 You've Got To Hear The Music was named New Zealand's Best Rock Album for the year, and Dimmer named Best Group. There My Dear saw Carter return to playing and recording with a live rock band in 2006. Final album Degrees of Existence (2009) was recorded by the longest-lasting version of the band. Dimmer's final shows were played in 2012.