edge

[ ej ]
See synonyms for: edgeedgededgesedging on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a line or border at which a surface terminates: Grass grew along the edges of the road. The paper had deckle edges.

  2. a brink or verge: the edge of a cliff; the edge of disaster.

  1. any of the narrow surfaces of a thin, flat object: a book with gilt edges.

  2. a line at which two surfaces of a solid object meet: an edge of a box.

  3. the thin, sharp side of the blade of a cutting instrument or weapon.

  4. the sharpness proper to a blade: The knife has lost its edge.

  5. 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.

  6. British Dialect. a hill or cliff.

  7. an improved position; advantage: He gained the edge on his opponent.

  8. Cards.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  1. to make or force (one's way) gradually by moving sideways.

  2. Metalworking.

    • to turn (a piece to be rolled) onto its edge.

    • to roll (a piece set on edge).

    • to give (a piece) a desired width by passing between vertical rolls.

    • 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 Phrases
  1. edge in, 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?

  2. edge out, to defeat (rivals or opponents) by a small margin: The home team edged out the visitors in an exciting finish.

Idioms about edge

  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,

    • (of a person or a person's nerves) acutely sensitive; nervous; tense.

    • impatient; eager: The contestants were on edge to learn the results.

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

Origin of edge

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English egge, Old English ecg; cognate with German Ecke “corner”; akin to Latin acus “needle,” Greek akís “point”; see also acute, egg2

synonym study For edge

1. 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.

Other words for edge

Other words from edge

  • edgeless, adjective
  • outedge, verb (used with object), out·edged, out·edg·ing.
  • un·der·edge, noun
  • un·edge, verb (used with object), un·edged, un·edg·ing.

Words Nearby edge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use edge in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for edge

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

  1. maths

    • a line along which two faces or surfaces of a solid meet

    • a line joining two vertices of a graph

  2. the sharp cutting side of a blade

  3. keenness, sharpness, or urgency: the walk gave an edge to his appetite

  4. force, effectiveness, or incisiveness: the performance lacked edge

  5. dialect

    • a cliff, ridge, or hillside

    • (capital) (in place names): Hade Edge

  6. have the edge on or have the edge over to have a slight advantage or superiority (over)

  7. on edge

    • nervously irritable; tense

    • nervously excited or eager

  8. 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

  1. to push (one's way, someone, something, etc) gradually, esp edgeways

  2. (tr) cricket to hit (a bowled ball) with the edge of the bat

  3. (tr) to tilt (a ski) sideways so that one edge digs into the snow

  4. (tr) to sharpen (a knife, etc)

Origin of edge

1
Old English ecg; related to Old Norse egg, Old High German ecka edge, Latin aciēs sharpness, Greek akis point

Derived forms of edge

  • edgeless, adjective
  • edger, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with edge

edge

In addition to the idioms beginning with edge

  • edge in
  • edge out

also see:

  • 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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.