Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for brink on Thesaurus.com the edge or margin of a steep place or of land bordering water. any extreme edge; verge. a crucial or critical point, especially of a situation or state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs: We were on the brink of war. Show More
Origin of brink 1250–1300; Middle English brink < Old Norse (Danish ) brink, cognate with MLG brink edge, hillside, Old Norse brekka slope, hill
Related forms brink·less , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for brink threshold ,
fringe ,
periphery ,
verge ,
perimeter ,
frontier ,
border ,
point ,
skirt ,
rim ,
limit ,
brim ,
lip ,
boundary ,
margin Examples from the Web for brink Contemporary Examples of brink She was sexually and verbally abused, leading her to the brink of suicide.
Emergent procedures provide their benefit right away and have the awesome potential to rescue a patient from the brink of death.
It is conceivable, if highly unlikely, that most Palestinians will try to pull back from the brink .
Meanwhile, their Missouri hometown appears to be on the brink of chaos.
But things were once a lot closer to the brink than most people knew.
Historical Examples of brink It was probably his daughter who led him back from the brink of the grave.
It was on the brink of the Barrage itself that I spoke to Bailey.
I followed with the others round the corner to arrive at the brink of the canyon.
Calendar waddled to the brink of the stage, grunting with relief.
We lightly debate, we hesitate, we yawn, unconscious of the brink .
British Dictionary definitions for brink the edge, border, or verge of a steep place the brink of the precipice the highest point; top the sun fell below the brink of the hill the land at the edge of a body of water the verge of an event or state the brink of disaster Show More
Word Origin for brink C13: from Middle Dutch brinc , of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse brekka slope, Middle Low German brink edge of a field
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for brink n. early 13c., from Middle Low German brink "edge," or Danish brink "steepness, shore, bank, grassy edge," from Proto-Germanic *brenkon , probably from PIE *bhreng- , variant of root *bhren- "project, edge" (cf. Lithuanian brinkti "to swell").
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
