glim
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A light, a lamp; "dowse the GLIM," put out the candle. Sea and Old Cant. GLIMS, spectacles. Gaelic, GLINN, light. German (provincial), GLIMM, a spark.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “glim” mean?
A light, a lamp; "dowse the GLIM," put out the candle. Sea and Old Cant. GLIMS, spectacles. Gaelic, GLINN, light. German (provincial), GLIMM, a spark.
Is “glim” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.