trimmings

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   The extra dishes or side items that usually accompany a main dish at a traditional meal.

   Grammar: Takes a plural verb: the trimmings were delicious.

   Patterns

   • with all the trimmings
   • a roast with trimmings

   We served turkey with all the trimmings on Thanksgiving.

   The pub offers a Sunday roast with all the trimmings.

   My aunt prepared a Christmas dinner with every trimming imaginable.

2. 2nounplural

   Decorative extras added to clothing or furnishing, such as ribbon, lace or braid.

   Grammar: Plural in use: lace trimmings.

   Patterns

   • trimmings on something
   • lace trimmings

   The dress was plain, apart from a few gold trimmings.

   She bought ribbon and other trimmings for the costume.

   The curtains had velvet trimmings along the edge.

3. 3nounplural

   Small pieces cut off something while shaping it, such as meat, hedges or paper.

   Grammar: Usually plural: butcher's trimmings.

   Patterns

   • hedge trimmings
   • trimmings from something

   The butcher saved the trimmings to make sausages.

   We piled the hedge trimmings by the compost bin.

   Paper trimmings covered the workshop floor.

Common combinations

with all the trimmings

They ordered a roast dinner with all the trimmings.

holiday trimmings

We bought extra holiday trimmings for the party.

lace trimmings

The collar had delicate lace trimmings.

hedge trimmings

The gardener collected the hedge trimmings.

gold trimmings

The jacket had gold trimmings on the sleeves.

Synonyms and how they differ

side dishes

This names only the food extras and does not suggest an expected holiday spread like trimmings does.

accompaniments

This is a more formal word for things served with a main dish.

decorations

This is broader and can include items not attached to anything, unlike trimmings on clothes.

offcuts

This is British and refers only to leftover pieces cut from something.

Word family

trim verb

to cut away small parts to make something neat

trim noun

a decorative edge or addition

trimmer noun

a tool for trimming

trimming noun

a single piece trimmed off or added as decoration

Commonly confused: trimmings or toppings?

Practice

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