berime: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very lowLiterary, archaic, poetic
Quick answer
What does “berime” mean?
To cover or smear with rime or frost.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cover or smear with rime or frost.
To cover or encrust with a frost-like coating; to cover with frost.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The base noun 'rime' (meaning 'frost') is more common in British English, while American English prefers 'frost'. Consequently, 'berime' is slightly more likely to appear in British literary or historical contexts, though it is extremely rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Poetic, old-fashioned, descriptive of a natural phenomenon.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary usage in both varieties, encountered almost exclusively in older poetry or descriptive prose.
Grammar
How to Use “berime” in a Sentence
[Subject: frost/cold] + berime + [Object: surface/object]Passive: be berimed with/by frostVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “berime” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The first true cold snap of December would berime the hedgerows.
- Overnight, the mist had berimed the windscreen.
American English
- The quiet night began to berime the autumn leaves.
- They watched as the freezing fog berimed the metal railings.
adverb
British English
- (Not used)
American English
- (Not used)
adjective
British English
- (Not standard; use 'rimed' or 'frost-covered')
American English
- (Not standard; use 'rimed' or 'frost-covered')
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never used.
Academic
Potentially found in historical texts or analyses of older poetry.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Could appear in very specific meteorological descriptions, but 'rime' is the standard term.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “berime”
- Spelling as 'berhyme' (which means to compose verse about).
- Using it in modern, non-literary contexts where 'frost' is appropriate.
- Incorrect pronunciation: /biːraɪm/ or /beriːm/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is extremely rare and considered archaic or literary. The words 'frost' (verb/noun) or 'cover with frost' are used instead.
'Berime' (from 'rime' meaning frost) means to cover with frost. 'Berhyme' (from 'rhyme') is also archaic and means to compose verses about someone, often in a mocking or celebratory way.
In its standard, historical sense, it is literal. However, a poet might use it figuratively to suggest something being covered as if by frost (e.g., 'berimed with age').
It is pronounced /bɪˈraɪm/ (bih-RIME), with the stress on the second syllable, rhyming with 'sublime'.
To cover or smear with rime or frost.
Berime is usually literary, archaic, poetic in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(None specific to this rare word)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'BE covered with RIME' (frost). 'The branches BE-RIME-d in the morning cold.'
Conceptual Metaphor
Winter as an artist, painting with frost.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most accurate modern synonym for 'berime' in the sentence 'The window was berimed overnight'?