edgewise

[ej-wahyz]

adverb

with the edge forward; in the direction of the edge.
sideways.

Idioms

get a word in edgewise, to succeed in entering a conversation or expressing one's opinion in spite of competition or opposition: There were so many people talking at once that I couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Also edge·ways

[ej-weyz] /ˈɛdʒˌweɪz/.

Origin of edgewise

First recorded in 1560–70; edge + -wise

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for edgewise

Contemporary Examples of edgewise

Instead, Coulter gouged a string of fellow conservatives, leaving Hannity struggling to get a word in edgewise.
How Bad Is It? Even Ann Coulter Has Turned On Conservatives
Michelle Cottle
October 15, 2013
It would be just like having Gingrich as VP—except that, with Sorrentino, every now and again Mitt might get a word in edgewise.
Eight Ways Mitt Romney Could Beat Newt Gingrich
Michelle Cottle
December 16, 2011

Historical Examples of edgewise

You chatter so, Miss Pat, that no one can get a word in edgewise.
Miss Pat at School
Pemberton Ginther
He replaced the pocket secretary and looked at me edgewise, speculatively.
Measure for a Loner
James Judson Harmon
She did not let Mrs. Horton get a word in edgewise for the first two minutes.
The Girl Scouts at Home
Katherine Keene Galt
We'd fired these questions at him as fast as we could get them in edgewise, and now we knew a heap.
Pluck on the Long Trail
Edwin L. Sabin
Here I could hardly get a question in edgewise for the flood which was let loose on me.
Working With the Working Woman
Cornelia Stratton Parker

Word Origin and History for edgewise

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with edgewise

edgewise

see get a word in edgewise.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.