scrim

• Rhymes: -ɪm

Attested since the end of the 18th century. Origin unknown.

In one of the earliest mentions, "The Statistical Account of Scotland", 1793, by John Sinclair, page 593, we read in a paragraph devoted to weavers: "Besides these, they are now much employed in working a thin kind of coarse linen called Silesias, vulgarly Scrims, whereof each piece is 27 or 30 inches broad".

scrim (countable and uncountable, plural scrims)

1. A kind of light cotton or linen fabric, often woven in openwork patterns, -- used for curtains, etc,.
2. A large military scarf, usually camouflage coloured and used for concealment when not used as a scarf.
3. A woven, nonwoven or knitted fabric composed of continuous strands of material used for reinforcing or strengthening membranes.
4. (theater) A theater drop that appears opaque when a scene in front is lighted and transparent or translucent when a scene in back is lighted.
   • 2007 January 22, Steve Smith, “In Austin, Echoes of a Distant War in an Opera’s American Premiere”, in New York Times‎:

     Mummified mannequins dangling above the set, illuminated from within, were a heavy-handed touch, but the designer George Tsypin’s translucent scrims and painted drops beautifully conveyed the passage of sun-blasted days and bone-chilling nights on the edge of civilization.

5. Thin canvas glued on the inside of panels to prevent shrinking, checking, etc.

From scrimmage.

scrim (plural scrims)

1. (online gaming) A practice match between one or more organized teams usually in preparation for a more competitive format, such as a tournament.
   • 2016, Blog of Legends, "The Gap hasn’t closed: Comparing the LCS and LCK at Worlds":

     As a team, the players decided to focus less on streaming (a major source of income) and more on in-house scrims, VOD review and practice, hoping to become a better team.

scrim (third-person singular simple present scrims, present participle scrimming, simple past and past participle scrimmed)

1. (online gaming) To participate in a scrim.
   • 2016, The Inquirer, "The EE Blog: EternalEnvy Accuses Former Team, Team Secret, of Delayed Payments and Monetary Indiscretion":

     Accusations of him drinking instead of scrimming with the team, not attending practices at all and playing guitar instead of scrimming surfaced.

• Crims, crims