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• bridge
  bridge

  noun

  a structure spanning and providing passage over a river, chasm, road, or the like.
• Bridge
  Bridge

  noun

  Frank . 1879–1941, English composer, esp of chamber music. He taught Benjamin Britten

bridge

¹ American  

[brij] / brɪdʒ /

noun

1. a structure spanning and providing passage over a river, chasm, road, or the like.

2. a connecting, transitional, or intermediate route or phase between two adjacent elements, activities, conditions, or the like.

   Working at the hospital was a bridge between medical school and private practice.

3. Nautical.

   1. a raised transverse platform from which a power vessel is navigated: often includes a pilot house and a chart house.

   2. any of various other raised platforms from which the navigation or docking of a vessel is supervised.

   3. a bridge house or bridge superstructure.

   4. a raised walkway running fore-and-aft.

4. Anatomy. the ridge or upper line of the nose.

5. Dentistry. an artificial replacement, fixed or removable, of a missing tooth or teeth, supported by natural teeth or roots adjacent to the space.

6. Music.

   1. a thin, fixed wedge or support raising the strings of a musical instrument above the sounding board.

   2. a transitional, modulatory passage connecting sections of a composition or movement.

   3. (in jazz and popular music) the contrasting third group of eight bars in a thirty-two-bar chorus; channel; release.

7. Also a passage in a literary work or a scene in a play serving as a movement between two other passages or scenes of greater importance.

8. Ophthalmology. the part of a pair of eyeglasses that joins the two lenses and rests on the bridge or sides of the nose.

9. Also called bridge circuit. Electricity. a two-branch network, including a measuring device, as a galvanometer, in which the unknown resistance, capacitance, inductance, or impedance of one component can be measured by balancing the voltage in each branch and computing the unknown value from the known values of the other components.

10. Railroads. a gantry over a track or tracks for supporting waterspouts, signals, etc.

11. Building Trades. a scaffold built over a sidewalk alongside a construction or demolition site to protect pedestrians and motor traffic from falling materials.

12. Metallurgy.

    1. a ridge or wall-like projection of fire brick or the like, at each end of the hearth in a metallurgical furnace.

    2. any layer of partially fused or densely compacted material preventing the proper gravitational movement of molten material, as in a blast furnace or cupola, or the proper compacting of metal powder in a mold.

13. (in a twist drill) the conoid area between the flutes at the drilling end.

14. Billiards, Pool.

    1. the arch formed by the hand and fingers to support and guide the striking end of a cue.

    2. a notched piece of wood with a long handle, used to support the striking end of the cue when the hand cannot do so comfortably; rest.

15. transitional music, commentary, dialogue, or the like, between two parts of a radio or television program, podcast, or other broadcast.

16. Theater.

    1. a gallery or platform that can be raised or lowered over a stage and is used by technicians, stagehands, etc., for painting scenery paint bridge, arranging and supporting lights light bridge, or the like.

    2. British. a part of the floor of a stage that can be raised or lowered.

17. Horology. a partial plate, supported at both ends, holding bearings on the side opposite the dial.

18. Chemistry. a valence bond illustrating the connection of two parts of a molecule.

19. a support or prop, usually timber, for the roof of a mine, cave, etc.

20. any arch or rooflike figure formed by acrobats, dancers, etc., as by joining and raising hands.

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verb (used with object)

• bridges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bridged,
  past participle,  past
• bridging
  present participle

1. to make a bridge or passage over; span.

   The township was laid out on the north bank in 1873, and the river was bridged in 1874.

   We believe there is a fundamental gulf between the parties, and no further bargaining will bridge that divide.

   Synonyms:

   vault, cross, traverse

2. to join by or as if by a bridge.

   A ladder bridged the two porches for access while we were repairing the steps.

   Using intentional strategies to bridge between a child’s home language and English in the early years will lead to stronger language skills in the future.

   Synonyms:

   unite, connect, link

3. to make (a way) by a bridge.

verb (used without object)

• bridges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bridged,
  past participle,  past
• bridging
  present participle

1. Foundry. (of molten metal) to form layers or areas heterogeneous either in material or in degree of hardness.

adjective

1. (especially of clothing) less expensive than a manufacturer's most expensive products.

   showing his bridge line for the fall season.

idioms

1. burn one's bridges (behind one), to eliminate all possibilities of retreat; make one's decision irrevocable.

   She burned her bridges when she walked out angrily.

2. bridge the gap, see bridge the gap.

bridge ² American  

[brij] / brɪdʒ /

noun

Cards.

1. a game derived from whist in which one partnership plays to fulfill a certain declaration against an opposing partnership acting as defenders.

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bridge ¹ British  

/ brɪdʒ /

noun

1. a structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway, river, or some other obstacle

2. something that resembles this in shape or function

   his letters provided a bridge across the centuries

3. 1. the hard ridge at the upper part of the nose, formed by the underlying nasal bones

   2. any anatomical ridge or connecting structure Compare pons

4. the part of a pair of glasses that rests on the nose

5. Also called: bridgework. a dental plate containing one or more artificial teeth that is secured to the surrounding natural teeth

6. a platform athwartships and above the rail, from which a ship is piloted and navigated

7. a piece of wood, usually fixed, supporting the strings of a violin, guitar, etc, and transmitting their vibrations to the sounding board

8. Also called: bridge passage. a passage in a musical, literary, or dramatic work linking two or more important sections

9. Also called: bridge circuit. electronics any of several networks, such as a Wheatstone bridge, consisting of two branches across which a measuring device is connected. The resistance, capacitance, etc, of one component can be determined from the known values of the others when the voltage in each branch is balanced

10. computing a device that connects networks and sends packets between them

11. billiards snooker

    1. a support for a cue made by placing the fingers on the table and raising the thumb

    2. a cue rest with a notched end for shots beyond normal reach

12. theatre

    1. a platform of adjustable height above or beside the stage for the use of stagehands, light operators, etc

    2. a part of the stage floor that can be raised or lowered

13. a partition in a furnace or boiler to keep the fuel in place

14. to promote reconciliation or cooperation between hostile groups or people

15. See burn 1

16. to deal with a problem only when it arises; not to anticipate difficulties

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verb

1. to build or provide a bridge over something; span

   to bridge a river

2. to connect or reduce the distance between

   let us bridge our differences

bridge ² British  

/ brɪdʒ /

noun

1. a card game for four players, based on whist, in which one hand (the dummy) is exposed and the trump suit decided by bidding between the players See also contract bridge duplicate bridge rubber bridge auction bridge

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Bridge ³ British  

/ brɪdʒ /

noun

1. Frank . 1879–1941, English composer, esp of chamber music. He taught Benjamin Britten

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bridge Scientific  

/ brĭj /

1. A structure spanning and providing passage over a gap or barrier, such as a river or roadway.

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bridge More Idioms  

1. see burn one's bridges; cross that bridge when one comes to it; water over the dam (under the bridge).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bridgeable
  adjective
• bridgeless
  adjective
• bridgelike
  adjective
• unbridgeable
  adjective
• unbridged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• bridging
  present
• bridged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bridge
  simple
• bridges
  simple
• have bridged
  perfect
• has bridged
  perfect
• am bridging
  progressive
• are bridging
  progressive
• is bridging
  progressive
• have been bridging
  perfect progressive
• has been bridging
  perfect progressive

Past

• bridged
  simple
• had bridged
  perfect
• was bridging
  progressive
• were bridging
  progressive
• had been bridging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bridge
  simple
• will have bridged
  perfect
• will be bridging
  progressive
• will have been bridging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bridge¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English brigge, brugge, bregge, Old English brycg, bricg; cognate with Dutch brug, German Brücke; akin to Old Norse bryggja “gangway; pier”

Origin of bridge²

First recorded in 1885–90; earlier britch, biritch; of obscure origin; perhaps from Turkish bir “one” + üç “three” (one hand being exposed while the other three are concealed), but such a name for the game is not attested in Turkey or the Middle East, from where it is alleged to have been introduced into Europe

Explanation

A bridge is what gets you from one side of the river to the other. A bridge connects things. The bridge of your nose connects your nose to your head — it's where the bridge of your eyeglasses rests. If you insult your boss and quit your job, you've "burned your bridges" — you can’t go back. If you're not going to worry yourself about a possible problem, you can say "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." The vertical piece that holds the strings up on a violin, guitar, or other stringed instrument is also a bridge, and in a song, the bridge is the part between a verse and the chorus — the transition between them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bridge Bridge bridges bridged bridging

They also thought about video monitoring in his dad’s apartment when he insisted on living alone, but that was a bridge too far for all of them as far as dignity and privacy were concerned.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

So an environmental review wouldn’t be required to fix an aging bridge or to harden transmission lines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

The latest bridge attack came as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to the capital on Sunday.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

AFP reporters saw traces of an explosion on a pedestrian walkway and technicians repairing power lines on the bridge.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

He could cross the bridge and walk to Beaverville, the closest town.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

The A55 is currently carried over the Menai by the Britannia Bridge, and unlike the rest of the road it is a single carriageway.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The ancient stone Bessom Bridge flooded nearly 50 years ago when Wimbleball Reservoir was created at Exmoor National Park in Somerset.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Previous disruption to subway services during air raids forced her to spend the night in a metro station near the Southern Bridge.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Since 2017, neighbors have tended a Shakespeare Bridge Garden beneath the span.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Quick on his feet, he often dashed across the Jungfem Bridge and hid in the pine forest around the New Johannes cemetery.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

His songs have sections that resemble verses, bridges and choruses, but they unfold in strange ways and seem inseparable from how he performs them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Issuance in the sector has been booming in recent years as pandemic-era stimulus burns off and more borrowing is required to pay for things like schools, bridges and infrastructure.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

As part of Ukraine's efforts to respond, "robotic turrets are now being installed on bridges", air force spokesman colonel Yuri Ignat told national television.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

BBC Ukraine correspondent Dan Johnson is near one of the bridges that was targeted and explains what we know so far.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

It tore away bridges and swept away houses.

From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis

McCreary began creating television and film scores, discovered his inner metalhead, and has since bridged those worlds with his “Singularity” project.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

It shows the gap in development which has to be bridged.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

In tech, Epstein’s ties actually bridged two previously disconnected clusters of firms, joining Microsoft, Apple, Cisco and IBM into a single connected network.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

The stockpile swaps bridged longer shipping times, and alternative cargoes began to arrive in force.

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

They found a trunk that bridged the river, and Buzz put one son in front of him and the other behind him, inching their way across to the north bank.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

The company added that savings had been identified in some areas of the business, but these fell short in "bridging the site's competitiveness gap".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Tom Bradley was a visionary in so many ways and I look to him for leadership on bridging different parts of the city together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

More recently, the researchers found tiny physical channels bridging the skull, dura, and brain tissue.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

Parton’s time on “The Porter Wagoner Show” laid the foundation for an extraordinary career bridging pop and country music, fueled by the star’s one-of-a-kind showmanship.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

With his mask off, I can see freckles bridging his nose.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

• link
• overpass
• platform