edge

[ ej ]

noun

1. a line or border at which a surface terminates:

   Grass grew along the edges of the road. The paper had deckle edges.

   Synonyms: lip, rim

2. a brink or verge:

   the edge of a cliff; the edge of disaster.

3. any of the narrow surfaces of a thin, flat object:

   a book with gilt edges.

4. a line at which two surfaces of a solid object meet:

   an edge of a box.

5. the thin, sharp side of the blade of a cutting instrument or weapon.
6. the sharpness proper to a blade:

   The knife has lost its edge.

7. sharpness or keenness of language, argument, tone of voice, appetite, desire, etc.:

   The snack took the edge off his hunger. Her voice had an edge to it.

8. British Dialect. a hill or cliff.
9. an improved position; advantage:

   He gained the edge on his opponent.

10. Cards.
    1. advantage, especially the advantage gained by being the age or eldest hand.
    2. eldest hand.
11. Ice Skating. one of the two edges of a skate blade where the sides meet the bottom surface, made sharp by carving a groove on the bottom.
12. Skiing. one of the two edges on the bottom of a ski that is angled into a slope when making a turn.

verb (used with object)

, edged, edg·ing.

1. to put an edge on; sharpen.
2. to provide with an edge or border:

   to edge a terrace with shrubbery; to edge a skirt with lace.

3. to make or force (one's way) gradually by moving sideways.
4. Metalworking.
   1. to turn (a piece to be rolled) onto its edge.
   2. to roll (a piece set on edge).
   3. to give (a piece) a desired width by passing between vertical rolls.
   4. to rough (a piece being forged) so that the bulk is properly distributed for final forging.

verb (used without object)

, edged, edg·ing.

1. to move sideways:

   to edge through a crowd.

2. to advance gradually or cautiously:

   a car edging up to a curb.

verb phrase

1. to defeat (rivals or opponents) by a small margin:

   The home team edged out the visitors in an exciting finish.

2. to insert or work in or into, especially in a limited period of time:

   Can you edge in your suggestion before they close the discussion?

edge

/ ɛdʒ /

noun

1. the border, brim, or margin of a surface, object, etc
2. a brink or verge

   the edge of a breakthrough

   the edge of a cliff

3. maths
   1. a line along which two faces or surfaces of a solid meet
   2. a line joining two vertices of a graph
4. the sharp cutting side of a blade
5. keenness, sharpness, or urgency

   the walk gave an edge to his appetite

6. force, effectiveness, or incisiveness

   the performance lacked edge

7. dialect.
   1. a cliff, ridge, or hillside
   2. capital (in place names)

      Hade Edge

8. have the edge on or have the edge over
   to have a slight advantage or superiority (over)
9. on edge
   1. nervously irritable; tense
   2. nervously excited or eager
10. set someone's teeth on edge
    to make someone acutely irritated or uncomfortable

verb

1. tr to provide an edge or border for
2. tr to shape or trim (the edge or border of something), as with a knife or scissors

   to edge a pie

3. to push (one's way, someone, something, etc) gradually, esp edgeways
4. tr cricket to hit (a bowled ball) with the edge of the bat
5. tr to tilt (a ski) sideways so that one edge digs into the snow
6. tr to sharpen (a knife, etc)

Derived Forms

• ˈedger, noun
• ˈedgeless, adjective

Other Words From

• edgeless adjective
• outedge verb (used with object) outedged outedging
• under·edge noun
• un·edge verb (used with object) unedged unedging

Word History and Origins

Origin of edge¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English egge, Old English ecg; cognate with German Ecke “corner”; akin to Latin acus “needle,” Greek akís “point”; acute ( def ), egg ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of edge¹

Old English ecg; related to Old Norse egg, Old High German ecka edge, Latin aciēs sharpness, Greek akis point

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. have an edge on, Informal. to be mildly intoxicated with alcoholic liquor:

   He had a pleasant edge on from the sherry.

2. on edge,
   1. (of a person or a person's nerves) acutely sensitive; nervous; tense.
   2. impatient; eager:

      The contestants were on edge to learn the results.

3. set one's teeth on edge. tooth ( def 21 ).

More idioms and phrases containing edge

• cutting edge
• get a word in edgewise
• have the edge on
• on edge
• on the edge
• over the edge
• set one's teeth on edge
• take the edge off
• thin edge of the wedge

Synonym Study

Edge, border, margin refer to a boundary. An edge is the boundary line of a surface or plane: the edge of a table. Border is the boundary of a surface or the strip adjacent to it, inside or out: a border of lace. Margin is a limited strip, generally unoccupied, at the extremity of an area: the margin of a page.

Example Sentences

Not to be left behind, progressives in neighboring Wisconsin clamored to join the cutting edge of public health.

From The Daily Beast

French officials were already on edge after a series of apparently unconnected attacks, including the stabbing of police officers.

From The Daily Beast

The rage that Marvin has embodied, a man on the edge of eruption, is always a badly wounded man.

From The Daily Beast

Marvin hops over the edge of his retaining wall, which he built.

From The Daily Beast

Another man chimes in: “Today we are living at the edge of suffering.”

From The Daily Beast

After a bit of waiting, Mac decided that the smoke was floating from a certain direction, and we began to edge carefully that way.

From Project Gutenberg

He was hurrying towards the corner of the palace grounds when a shriek from Winifred set his teeth on edge.

From Project Gutenberg

The first man my eyes lighted upon as I stepped inside was MacRae, humped disconsolately on the edge of a bunk.

From Project Gutenberg

Squinty turned around, standing on the edge of the little brook, and waited, his heart beating faster and faster.

From Project Gutenberg

Feeling sixteen and very foolish, she sank to the edge of a chair and muttered something about the charm of the room.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• creep
• ease
• inch