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noun

scrim

skrim
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Scrim (noun) means a practice match played by a team against another team outside official competition, especially in esports. Example: “We have scrims against a Korean roster every night this week.”

noun
1
informal, gaming A practice match played by a team against another team outside official competition, especially in esports.
"We have scrims against a Korean roster every night this week."
"The coach reviews every scrim before the weekend's matches."
2
A loosely woven cotton or linen cloth used for curtains, lining and upholstery, and in theatre and film as a backdrop that looks solid when lit from the front and transparent when lit from behind.
"A painted scrim dissolved into the forest set as the lights came up behind it."
"She hung plain scrim at the kitchen window."
3
film and photography A thin screen placed in front of a lamp to soften or cut down the light.
"Drop a scrim in front of the key light to take the edge off."
verb
1
informal, gaming To play such a practice match.
"They scrimmed for six hours straight before the qualifier."

How to use scrim

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA practice match between teams, or a thin see-through cloth used on stage.

When to use it

The gaming sense is informal and dominant online; the fabric sense is standard technical vocabulary in theatre, film and textiles.

Easily confused with
scrimmage → scrum → gauze →
Common pairings
run scrims scrim block scrim partner theatrical scrim
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Can you complete this real example?

We have _____ against a Korean roster every night this week.

Etymology

Attested since the end of the 18th century, though its origin is unknown. One of the earliest mentions is in John Sinclair's "The Statistical Account of Scotland", 1793, page 593, in a passage on 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".

Synonyms

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practice match friendly scrimmage practice game gauze muslin netting

Related words

nice net friendly sharp dressing gentle hostile kindly

Rhymes for scrim

rim prim grim trim brim
See all rhymes for scrim →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a scrim and a scrimmage?
Scrim is the clipped esports form and means a full practice match against another team. Scrimmage is the older American sports word for a practice session, often played within one squad, and in rugby the related word is scrum.
What are scrims in gaming?
They are arranged practice matches between competitive teams, played outside ranked ladders so squads can test strategies against real opposition. Results do not count for anything but coaches treat them as data.
What does a scrim do in theatre?
Lit from the front it reads as an opaque painted wall, and lit from behind it turns transparent, revealing whatever is upstage. That trick is used for reveals, ghosts and scene changes without a blackout.
What is the meaning of scrim?
"scrim" (noun) means a practice match played by a team against another team outside official competition, especially in esports.

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