Glims

/ɡlɪmz/ noun

Definition

Plural of glim; a light source or illumination (archaic or slang), or figuratively, eyes.

Etymology

Glim comes from Middle English and Old Norse origins, related to gleam and glimmer. In sailor's slang and criminal argot, 'glim' meant an eye or a light; the plural simply adds -s.

Kelly Says

In 18th-century British slang, 'glims' meant 'eyes'—criminals would say 'give him a punch in the glims'—showing how body parts got nicknamed by association with light and sight, a poetic pattern throughout slang history.

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