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brink
[ bringk ]
/ brɪŋk /
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noun
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.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of brink
1250–1300; Middle English brink<Old Norse (Danish ) brink, cognate with MLG brink edge, hillside, Old Norse brekka slope, hill
OTHER WORDS FROM brink
brinkless, adjectiveWords nearby brink
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use brink in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for brink
brink
/ (brɪŋk) /
noun
the edge, border, or verge of a steep placethe brink of the precipice
the highest point; topthe sun fell below the brink of the hill
the land at the edge of a body of water
the verge of an event or statethe brink of disaster
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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