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bridge

[ brij ]

/ brɪdʒ /

noun

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

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.

Nautical.

a raised transverse platform from which a power vessel is navigated: often includes a pilot house and a chart house.
any of various other raised platforms from which the navigation or docking of a vessel is supervised.
a bridge house or bridge superstructure.
a raised walkway running fore-and-aft.

Anatomy. the ridge or upper line of the nose.

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

Music.

a thin, fixed wedge or support raising the strings of a musical instrument above the sounding board.
a transitional, modulatory passage connecting sections of a composition or movement.
(in jazz and popular music) the contrasting third group of eight bars in a thirty-two-bar chorus; channel; release.

Also bridge passage. 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.

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

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.Compare Wheatstone bridge.

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

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

Metallurgy.

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

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

Billiards, Pool.

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

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

Theater.

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

Horology. a partial plate, supported at both ends, holding bearings on the side opposite the dial.Compare cock¹ (def. 10).

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

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

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

verb (used with object), bridged, bridg·ing.

to make a bridge or passage over; span: The road bridged the river.

to join by or as if by a bridge: a fallen tree bridging the two porches.

to make (a way) by a bridge.

verb (used without object), bridged, bridg·ing.

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

adjective

(especially of clothing) less expensive than a manufacturer's most expensive products: showing his bridge line for the fall season.

QUIZZES

BECOME A PRO CHEF WITH THIS EXQUISITE CUISINE QUIZ!

Even if you can't be a professional chef, you can at least talk like one with this vocabulary quiz.

Question 1 of 9

You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?

To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.

To stew in a sauce for a long time.

To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for bridge

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.

Origin of bridge

before 1000; Middle English brigge,Old English brycg; cognate with Dutch brug,German Brücke; akin to Old Norse bryggja pier

SYNONYMS FOR bridge

21 traverse, cross, vault.

22 link, connect.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bridge

OTHER WORDS FROM bridge

bridge·a·ble, adjectivebridgeless, adjectivebridgelike, adjectiveun·bridge·a·ble, adjective

un·bridged, adjective

Words nearby bridge

bride price, bridesmaid, bridewell, Bridey, bridezilla, bridge, bridgeboard, bridge chair, bridge circuit, bridge cloth, bridge deck

Definition for bridge (2 of 2)

bridge²

[ brij ]

/ brɪdʒ /

noun Cards.

a game derived from whist in which one partnership plays to fulfill a certain declaration against an opposing partnership acting as defenders.Compare auction bridge, contract (def. 5).

Origin of bridge

1885–90; earlier also spelling britch, biritch; of obscure origin; perhaps <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 Near East, from where it is alleged to have been introduced into Europe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for bridge

It’s over 10 years old, employs more than 150 people, and successfully bridged the Series A gap in Europe closing a round of $20M back in 2018.
Sophie Hill on the changing face of retail and surviving 2020|Margaret Trainor|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
Investments into entrepreneurs in disenfranchised communities provide a crucial path for creating lasting positive change, and the Opportunity Zone legislation builds bridges for such investment.
Opportunity Zones haven’t fully reached their potential, but don’t write them off yet|jakemeth|September 16, 2020|Fortune
The freeway to San Francisco will need to be raised, and to the east, a new bridge will be required to connect the community of Point Richmond to the city of Berkeley.
Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration|by Abrahm Lustgarten, photography by Meridith Kohut|September 15, 2020|ProPublica
Although Firestein explains that Newton’s laws of motion are “great for launching satellites and building bridges, his idea about how gravity works was wrong.”
A secret of science: Mistakes boost understanding|Rachel Kehoe|September 10, 2020|Science News For Students

Of course, it’s harder to get to know people in this age of social distancing, but fortunately, the Internet is a handy tool you can use to bridge those gaps.
Networking 101: Why Working Together Creates More Opportunity Than Working Apart|Shantel Holder|September 4, 2020|Essence.com
Linsker initially escaped after the clash on the bridge but was arrested a short time later.
The High-Priced Union Rep Charged With Attacking a Cop|Jacob Siegel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But there was also the liberty to consider of those people who wanted to use the bridge to get home.
Eric Garner Was Just a Number to Them|Michael Daly|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At one point Schettino admitted that bringing passengers up to the bridge was a common occurrence.
The Costa Concordia’s Randy Reckless Captain Takes the Stand|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the end of their call, the kid told Becker he would still walk over the bridge, but from now on would not look down.
Sex, Suicide, and Homework: The Secret World of the Telephone Hotline|Tim Teeman|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Afghan Army maintains a small check-point on the Kandigal side of the bridge.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When she had passed the bridge she stopped, put on her robe, and alighted.
Memoirs of Leonora Christina|Leonora Christina Ulfeldt
They rode for some distance along a pretty straight road, and then came to a bridge, which was opposite to a great round castle.
Rollo in Rome|Jacob Abbott
A clock in a village church tower struck three, and the midafternoon traffic thickened and converged upon the bridge.
Detectives, Inc.|William Heyliger
A few paces ahead, the trench was crossed by a bridge (closed by a wicket gate) which connected the garden with the park.
Armadale|Wilkie Collins
His sentiments apparently fell no further towards his heart than that; his brain belonged to the bridge of his nose.
The Entailed Hat|George Alfred Townsend

British Dictionary definitions for bridge (1 of 3)

bridge¹

/ (brɪdʒ) /

noun

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

something that resembles this in shape or functionhis letters provided a bridge across the centuries

the hard ridge at the upper part of the nose, formed by the underlying nasal bones
any anatomical ridge or connecting structureCompare pons

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

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

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

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

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

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

computing a device that connects networks and sends packets between them

billiards snooker

a support for a cue made by placing the fingers on the table and raising the thumb
a cue rest with a notched end for shots beyond normal reach

theatre

a platform of adjustable height above or beside the stage for the use of stagehands, light operators, etc
mainly British a part of the stage floor that can be raised or lowered

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

build bridges to promote reconciliation or cooperation between hostile groups or people

burn one's bridges See burn 1 (def. 19)

cross a bridge when one comes to it to deal with a problem only when it arises; not to anticipate difficulties

verb (tr)

to build or provide a bridge over something; spanto bridge a river

to connect or reduce the distance betweenlet us bridge our differences

Derived forms of bridge

bridgeable, adjectivebridgeless, adjective

Word Origin for bridge

Old English brycg; related to Old Norse bryggja gangway, Old Frisian bregge, Old High German brucka, Danish, Swedish bro

British Dictionary definitions for bridge (2 of 3)

bridge²

/ (brɪdʒ) /

noun

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 playersSee also contract bridge, duplicate bridge, rubber bridge, auction bridge

Word Origin for bridge

C19: of uncertain origin, but compare Turkish bir-üç (unattested phrase) one-three (said perhaps to refer to the one exposed hand and the three players' hands)

British Dictionary definitions for bridge (3 of 3)

Bridge

/ (brɪdʒ) /

noun

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

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

Medical definitions for bridge

bridge

[ brĭj ]

n.

An anatomical structure resembling a bridge or span.

The upper part of the ridge of the nose formed by the nasal bones.

A fixed or removable replacement for one or several but not all of the natural teeth, usually anchored at each end to a natural tooth.

One of the threads of protoplasm that appears to pass from one cell to another.

Scientific definitions for bridge

bridge

[ brĭj ]

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

Idioms and Phrases with bridge

bridge

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

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WORD OF THE DAY

bridge

noun

verb (used with object), bridged, bridg·ing.