TOP

Definition of scrimp verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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/
jump to other results
  1. 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.
See scrimp in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 3000
B1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day