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 cliff

   the edge of a breakthrough

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

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Wednesday showed Biden with a narrow edge in the battleground state, where protests erupted after last month’s police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.

From Washington Post

From the starting position on the left it takes two flips to move node 1 into a space where it can be connected to node 6 without crossing any other edges.

From Quanta Magazine

It has not fallen into chaos, but it’s kind of right on the edge of it.

From Freakonomics

They gather in the small village of Carrbridge, Scotland, on the edge of a national park in the Scottish highlands, for the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship.

From Eater

If you’re looking for a pot that will ensure its contents don’t stick to the edges or boil over the sides, this design has got you covered.

From Popular-Science

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

More About Edge

What is a basic definition of edge?

The word edge most commonly refers to the sharp or angled side of an object or the place where something stops and something else starts—a border or margin. Edge is also used as a verb meaning to move sideways. Edge has many additional senses as both a noun and verb.

When it’s used to refer to the side or tip of an object, the word edge often implies that it’s sharp or pointy.

• Real-life example: The sharp edge of a knife is the part that you use to cut things with.
• Used in a sentence: I accidentally gave myself a paper cut on the edge of the envelope.

When it refers to the line or border where something stops, edge can be used in the context of objects or places. An edge may be an intentional boundary or it may simply be the place where something ends. Sometimes, it refers to the farthest possible point you can go before falling off of something—a verge or brink.

• Real-life example: The edges of an object are its outermost borders or margins. When you write too close to the edge of a piece of paper, you might write on whatever’s next to it, like the surface of the table it’s on. The edge of a road is the point where it stops and something else begins, such as grass or a sidewalk. The edge of a cliff is the last point you can stand on before there is no more cliff and you will fall. This sense of the word can also be used in figurative ways, as in the edge of reality. 
• Used in a sentence: The pencil rolled over the edge of the desk and fell on the floor. 

Edge can also be used as a verb meaning to move slowly or cautiously, such as by moving around the edges of something so as not to touch it or fall.

• Used in a sentence: The boy edged past his sleeping father to sneak into the kitchen.

Where does edge come from?

The first records of the word edge come from before the year 1000. It comes from the Old English word ecg. This word is related to the German ecke (meaning “corner”) and the Greek akís (“point”). Most of the many meanings of edge relate to an ending point or a side or boundary.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to edge?

• edgeless (adjective)
• edger (noun)

What are some synonyms for edge?

• end
• margin
• side
• tip
• brink
• verge
• border
• boundary

What are some words that share a root or word element with edge? 

• edgewise
• edging
• edgy
• on edge

What are some words that often get used in discussing edge?

• cliff
• knife
• far
• sharp
• point
• pointy
• advantage

How is edge used in real life?

Edge is an extremely common word with many meanings, most of which involve sides, margins, or borders.

Well just took a solid 10 minutes to move my car from the front of the house to the edge of the driveway. 😑👌

— Cassidy (@cassslyons) December 15, 2013

Geometry makes me want to walk off the edge of a cliff.

— Court (@Courtt3012) November 12, 2013

Just drove past some kids as they smashed a bus shelter by accident, then edged slowly away.. It was like something off a film

— Sadie Burgess (@xsadiee) January 29, 2014

 

 

Try using edge!

Is edge used correctly in the following sentence?

The painters started from the middle and worked their way out to the edges of the floor.