Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
adj
comparative form of dim: more dim
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: comparative, form-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A rheostat that is used to vary the intensity of a domestic electric light
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
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")
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a rheostat that varies the current through an electric light in order to control the level of illumination
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: rheostat, variable resistor
History
Etymology tree English dim Proto-Indo-European *-yōs Proto-Germanic *-izô Proto-West Germanic *-iʀō Proto-Germanic *-ōzô Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀō Old English -ra Middle English -ere English -er English dimmer From dim (adjective) + -er.
Etymology tree English dim Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English dimmer From dim (verb) + -er.
Across languages
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
