scrimp
verb /skrɪmp/
/skrɪmp/
[intransitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they scrimp | /skrɪmp/ /skrɪmp/ |
| he / she / it scrimps | /skrɪmps/ /skrɪmps/ |
| past simple scrimped | /skrɪmpt/ /skrɪmpt/ |
| past participle scrimped | /skrɪmpt/ /skrɪmpt/ |
| -ing form scrimping | /ˈskrɪmpɪŋ/ /ˈskrɪmpɪŋ/ |
- to spend very little money on the things that you need to live, especially so that you can save it to spend on something else
- They scrimped and saved to give the children a good education.
Word Originmid 18th cent. (in the sense ‘keep short of food’): from Scots scrimp ‘meagre’; perhaps related to shrimp.