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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

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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

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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

A cut across the bridge of his nose, first sustained during his 2024 draw with Frazer Clarke, reopened against Dubois and left his face badly swollen and bloodied.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The bridge runs along State Route 47 between Interstate 110 and Terminal Island.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

A spokesperson for the company said the development would bring "significant benefits", such as "the delivery of the new road bridge" and by helping "attract much-needed investment, create well-paid jobs and provide new training opportunities".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The bridge will be closed to all traffic for 16 months.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Clare pinched the bridge of his snout and sighed.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

After years of planning, California transportation officials are preparing to shut down the Vincent Thomas Bridge on Nov. 7 to replace its deck.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

"The real value of this is securing advantageous positions, favourable lines, and a bridgehead that grants us a superior position," Andriy Hitt, Revenge Bridge chief of staff, explained.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The island connects on its east end to Long Beach via the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

But the new structure will supersede the "extremely narrow" rail-and-road Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge downstream on the Yalu River, said Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Somkit headed for the thick pillars of the Giant's Bridge.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

When they were fixed and the road under the bridges opened late last month, a local brewery threw a party to celebrate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Some who saw Oxford’s Botley Road bridges after their unveiling said they could understand the delays and expense.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

The flood swept away about a dozen houses and several suspension bridges, while a hydroelectric project was damaged, carrying some of the construction equipment away, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

A flash flood has washed away houses, bridges and damaged a hydropower project along a river in central Nepal.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

We walked along the streets, crossing bridges over the canals, Hannie barely slowing her pace.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

In 1829, she discovered the first Squaloraja fossil - known as the fish with the "curling iron eyes" - it was an ancient creature which bridged the gap between sharks and rays.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Just as impressive, though, is how the creation of the mural united cultures, bridged age gaps and erased borders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

“Costs are higher than they will be in the future, and that cost difference between projects today and in 10 years from now needs to be bridged with government money,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

“No, no. I was just—No, no,” the gray-haired man said, leaving his fingers bridged over his eyes.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

It praised “artificial intelligence and machine translation” as “cost-effective methods for bridging language barriers and reducing inefficiencies with the translation process,” and called for phasing out “unnecessary multilingual offerings.”

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Time as a candidate, he said, has shown him the importance of effective communication within the court system in bridging language and cultural differences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Therefore bridging that gap, from thriving without the ball to dominating with it, will take time for those wanting to do so.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

Through the dirty window, I could see part of the overpass bridging the two Nogaleses and the chainlink fence separating the two cities.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

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Related Words

• link
• overpass
• platform

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