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Shim vs Whim - What's the difference?

shim | whim |

As nouns the difference between shim and whim

is that shim is a wedge while whim is a fanciful impulse, or whimsical idea.

As a verb shim

is to fit one or more shims to a piece of machinery.

shim

English

Etymology 1

Originally a piece of iron attached to a plow; sense of “thin piece of wood” from 1723, sense of “thin piece of material used for alignment or support” from 1860.

Noun

(en noun)
  • A wedge.
  • A thin piece of material, sometimes tapered, used for alignment or support.
  • (computing) A small library that transparently intercepts and modifies calls to an API, usually for compatibility purposes.
  • A kind of shallow plow used in tillage to break the ground and clear it of weeds.
  • A small metal device used to pick open a lock.
  • Verb

  • To fit one or more shims to a piece of machinery
  • To adjust something by using shims
  • Etymology 2

    .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal, often, derogatory) a person characterised by both male and female traits, or by ambiguous male-female traits, also called a he-she; transsexual.
  • * 1998 , Hobart Student Association, The Seneca review:
  • He — or "Shim " (she/him), as film director John Waters called the actor Divine — was as much a paradoxical as a perverse fellow.
  • * 1995 , The Advocate - May 30, 1995 - Page 11:
  • "We call him shim — short for 'she-him.'
  • (informal, often, derogatory) hermaphrodite.
  • References

    Anagrams

    * ----

    whim

    English

    (wikipedia whim)

    Etymology 1

    Apocopal derivation of "whim-wham."

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fanciful impulse, or whimsical idea
  • * Churchill
  • Let every man enjoy his whim .
  • (mining) A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from mines, or for other purposes
  • Synonyms
    * (fancy) lark, especially in phrase on a whim
    Derived terms
    * on a whim * whim gin * whim shaft * whimsical

    Etymology 2

    Compare whimbrel.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A bird, the European widgeon.