Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A rheostat or other device used to vary the intensity of an electric light.
  • noun A parking light on a motor vehicle.
  • noun A low beam.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In electricity, an adjustable reactive coil used for reducing the amount of light of incandescent lamps.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A rheostat that is used to vary the intensity of a domestic electric light
  • noun A switch used to select between the low and high headlamp beam on a road vehicle. (usually as "dimmer switch", primarily in North America; elsewhere "dipswitch" or "dipper switch")
  • adjective comparative form of dim: more dim

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a rheostat that varies the current through an electric light in order to control the level of illumination

Etymologies

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Examples

  • In shadowy outlines, in dimmer and dimmer crowding forms, the very figure of the old dead Time itself may perhaps be faintly discernible here.

    Letters from Dorothy Osborne to Sir William Temple (1652-54) 1888

  • And maybe it’s because I’m tired of Hollywood grabbing the headlines and having all the juicy fun while we poets twirl dutifully in dimmer orbits, sipping chai, submitting to Kingsley Tufts, and sharpening our pencils.

    Red Carpet Treatment at AWP : Patricia Smith : Harriet the Blog : The Poetry Foundation 2007

  • But this hardly addresses the deeper mystery of why this administration has gotten itself caught in the Venus flytrap of the Arab-Israeli conflict, after vowing not to do so, and why it has done so with a degree of ineptitude that recalls the dimmer moments of the Carter administration.

    The Annapolis Fiasco 2007

  • The dimmer is a 600watt rated with a preset button and ONLY in White, It's a $15.00 value

    craigslist | all for sale / wanted in san diego 2010

  • Lutron Maestro IR® preset dimmer, which is controlled by an integral micro-processor and can be programmed to recall a favorite brightness.

    Digital50.com Digital 50 Daily Industry News RSS Feed 2009

  • Pricier items are typically at eye level, following merchandising conventions, with high-turnover impulse purchases such as dimmer switches and 40-watt light bulbs always in reach.

    the evolution of retail experience - Anil Dash 2003

  • Parents notice a glimmer, a glow, a glint in the child's eyes, and it normally happens in kind of dimmer light.

    CNN Transcript Nov 3, 2002 2002

  • For non-electronic type fans, variable rheostats or "dimmer" switches that control the motor speed and light intensity are the most popular.

    unknown title 2009

  • For non-electronic type fans, variable rheostats or "dimmer" switches that control the motor speed and light intensity are the most popular.

    unknown title 2009

  • In a pointed dissent, Justice Eugene Nardelli took a "dimmer" view of Lillian S. 's behavior, saying that she played "fast and loose" with her youngest son's health by concealing his true parentage from health care providers and creating "potentially life-threatening gaps" in his medical history.

    Law.com - Newswire 2009

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