gimp
gimp Lexical Profile
gimp Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A narrow ornamental trimming made of silk, wool, or cotton twist, often stiffened with wire or a coarse cord running through it, used for edging garments, curtains, or upholstered furniture.
"The antique armchair was reupholstered in velvet and finished with a decorative gold gimp along the seams."
North American A limp or a halting, uneven gait (slang).
"After twisting his ankle on the trail, he walked with a noticeable gimp for several days."
North American A physically disabled or lame person, or someone considered inept and contemptible (derogatory slang).
"The novel's period dialogue reflects the harsh street slang of the era, including cruel taunts directed at the injured dockworker."
• verb
North American To walk with a limp or hobble painfully (informal).
"The exhausted runner gimped across the finish line after cramping in the final mile."
To impair, weaken, or restrict the effectiveness or functionality of something, especially a character or system in gaming and computing (slang).
"The latest software patch accidentally gimped the graphics card's performance on older monitors."
To wind, edge, or trim a fabric or garment with ornamental gimp.
"The seamstress carefully gimped the borders of the heavy drapery with braided silk cord."
Word Nuance & Usage
While its textile sense referring to ornamental braiding is neutral and technical, the slang use of "gimp" to refer to a person with a physical disability or a limp is strongly derogatory and offensive in modern English.
• Rhymes for gimp
Word Origin & Etymology
In its textile sense, the word entered English in the mid-17th century, likely via Dutch "gimp" from Old French "guimpe" (wimple or ornamental trimming). The slang sense referring to a limp or a physically disabled person emerged in 1920s American English, though its exact origin remains uncertain.