shim

/ʃɪm/
verb
  1. To fill or adjust with a shim; to make level or fit by inserting a thin piece.
    • She shimmed the table leg with a folded piece of cardboard.
    • We need to shim the window frame so it closes properly.
    • The mechanic shimmed the engine mount to reduce noise.
noun
  1. A thin piece of material used to fill a small gap, adjust fit, or level a surface.
    • He used a metal shim to align the door hinge properly.
    • The carpenter inserted a wooden shim under the cabinet to make it level.
    • A plastic shim helped reduce the vibration between the machine and the floor.
  2. A small device or piece of code used to modify or adapt a system, especially in computing.
    • A compatibility shim allowed the game to run on modern hardware.
    • The developer wrote a shim to make the old software work with the new operating system.
    • They installed a network shim to redirect traffic without changing the main application.
Synonyms