- a thin slip or wedge of metal, wood, etc., for driving into crevices, as between machine parts to compensate for wear, or beneath bedplates, large stones, etc., to level them.
- to fill out or bring to a level by inserting a shim or shims.
- a thin packing strip or washer often used with a number of similar washers or strips to adjust a clearance for gears, etc
- a thin strip of magnetic material, such as soft iron, used to adjust a magnetic field
- to modify a load, clearance, or magnetic field by the use of shims
