brim / brim/ • n. the projecting edge around the bottom of a hat: a soft hat with a turned-up brim. ∎  the upper edge or lip of a cup, bowl, or other container: tankards frothing to the brim.• v. (brimmed, brim·ming) [often as adj.] (brimming) fill or be full to the point of overflowing: [intr.] a brimming cup [tr.] seawater brimmed the riverbanks. ∎  fill something so completely as almost to spill out of it: large tears brimmed in her eyes. ∎ fig. be possessed by or full of feelings or thoughts: he is brimming with ideas.DERIVATIVES: brimmed adj. [in comb.] : a wide-brimmed hat.brim·less adj.

brim †border, margin, brink XIII; edge of a cup, etc.; projecting rim of a hat XVI. of obscure history, but corr. in sense to MHG. brem (G. brä(h)me), ON. barmr edge.