edging

[ ej-ing ]

/ ˈɛdʒ ɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR edging ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something that forms or is placed along an edge or border.

Skiing. the tilting of a ski to the side so that one edge cuts into the snow.

Nearby words

Origin of edging

First recorded in 1550–60; edge + -ing¹

Related formsedg·ing·ly, adverb

edge

[ ej ]

/ ɛdʒ /

noun

a line or border at which a surface terminates: Grass grew along the edges of the road. The paper had deckle edges.

a brink or verge: the edge of a cliff; the edge of disaster.

any of the narrow surfaces of a thin, flat object: a book with gilt edges.

a line at which two surfaces of a solid object meet: an edge of a box.

the thin, sharp side of the blade of a cutting instrument or weapon.

the sharpness proper to a blade: The knife has lost its edge.

sharpness or keenness of language, argument, tone of voice, appetite, desire, etc.: The snack took the edge off his hunger. Her voice had an edge to it.

British Dialect. a hill or cliff.

an improved position; advantage: He gained the edge on his opponent.

Cards.

advantage, especially the advantage gained by being the age or eldest hand.
eldest hand.

Ice Skating. one of the two edges of a skate blade where the sides meet the bottom surface, made sharp by carving a groove on the bottom.

Skiing. one of the two edges on the bottom of a ski that is angled into a slope when making a turn.

verb (used with object), edged, edg·ing.

to put an edge on; sharpen.

to provide with an edge or border: to edge a terrace with shrubbery; to edge a skirt with lace.

to make or force (one's way) gradually by moving sideways.

Metalworking.

to turn (a piece to be rolled) onto its edge.
to roll (a piece set on edge).
to give (a piece) a desired width by passing between vertical rolls.
to rough (a piece being forged) so that the bulk is properly distributed for final forging.

verb (used without object), edged, edg·ing.

to move sideways: to edge through a crowd.

to advance gradually or cautiously: a car edging up to a curb.

Verb Phrases

edge in, to insert or work in or into, especially in a limited period of time: Can you edge in your suggestion before they close the discussion?

edge out, to defeat (rivals or opponents) by a small margin: The home team edged out the visitors in an exciting finish.

Origin of edge

before 1000; Middle English egge, Old English ecg; cognate with German Ecke corner; akin to Latin aciēs, Greek akís point

SYNONYMS FOR edge

1. rim, lip.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR edge ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsedge·less, adjectiveout·edge, verb (used with object), out·edged, out·edg·ing.un·der·edge, nounun·edge, verb (used with object), un·edged, un·edg·ing.

Synonym study

1. Edge, border, margin refer to a boundary. An edge is the boundary line of a surface or plane: the edge of a table. Border is the boundary of a surface or the strip adjacent to it, inside or out: a border of lace. Margin is a limited strip, generally unoccupied, at the extremity of an area: the margin of a page.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for edging

In Iraq, Tehran was our silent partner, working to break an ISIS siege and edging out Maliki.
How Iran Could Become Our Shadow Enemy in the Syria ISIS War|Jacob Siegel|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They met five times with Mikan edging Kurland in games won, 3-2, and points scored, 77-64.
Bob Kurland, the First Player to Dunk, Was a Pioneer for Big Men|Kevin Fixler|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While Gingrich remains a caustic conservative, he seems to be edging toward a big-tent philosophy.
Newt Gingrich: Republicans Can’t Win Just By Beating Up Hillary Clinton|Howard Kurtz|March 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In edging past that mark, the latest PMI suggests that Chinese factories are getting busier, but only just.
Goodish News From China|David Frum|November 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Brown admitted students from 80 different countries, with China edging out Canada as the largest source.
Who Got Into the Country’s Top Colleges?|Steve Cohen|April 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
There is the funnel of the great unwieldy ferry-object—she is just edging in.
Sea and Sardinia|D. H. Lawrence
Something moved in the shadows, edging into the deeper shadows of the rocks.
Pastoral Affair|Charles A. Stearns
He shifted his course a little, edging more towards the shore, so as to cut transversely across the cutter's bows.
Jim Davis|John Masefield
Obviously they cannot converge, and the least inward pressure or edging will prevent them from running apart.
How To Ski and How Not To|Vivian Caulfeild
Kurt Fawzi, edging him out of the crowd, was the first to voice that.
Graveyard of Dreams|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for edging

edging

/ (ˈɛdʒɪŋ) /

noun

anything placed along an edge to finish it, esp as an ornament, fringe, or border on clothing or along a path in a garden

the act of making an edge

adjective

relating to or used for making an edgeedging shears

edge

/ (ɛdʒ) /

noun

the border, brim, or margin of a surface, object, etc

a brink or vergethe edge of a cliff; the edge of a breakthrough

maths

a line along which two faces or surfaces of a solid meet
a line joining two vertices of a graph

the sharp cutting side of a blade

keenness, sharpness, or urgencythe walk gave an edge to his appetite

force, effectiveness, or incisivenessthe performance lacked edge

dialect

a cliff, ridge, or hillside
(capital)(in place names)Hade Edge

have the edge on or have the edge over to have a slight advantage or superiority (over)

on edge

nervously irritable; tense
nervously excited or eager

set someone's teeth on edge to make someone acutely irritated or uncomfortable

verb

(tr) to provide an edge or border for

(tr) to shape or trim (the edge or border of something), as with a knife or scissorsto edge a pie

to push (one's way, someone, something, etc) gradually, esp edgeways

(tr) cricket to hit (a bowled ball) with the edge of the bat

(tr) to tilt (a ski) sideways so that one edge digs into the snow

(tr) to sharpen (a knife, etc)

Derived Formsedgeless, adjectiveedger, noun

Word Origin for edge

Old English ecg; related to Old Norse egg, Old High German ecka edge, Latin aciēs sharpness, Greek akis point

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

Word Origin and History for edging

edging

1570s, "the putting of a border," verbal noun from edge (v.). Meaning "a border" is from 1660s; that of "the trimming of lawn edges" is from 1858.

edge

late 13c., "to give an edge to" (implied in past participle egged), from edge (n.). Meaning "to move edgeways (with the edge toward the spectator), advance slowly" is from 1620s, originally nautical. Meaning "to defeat by a narrow margin" is from 1953. The meaning "urge on, incite" (16c.) often must be a mistake for egg (v.). Related: Edged; edging.

edge

Old English ecg "corner, edge, point," also "sword" (cf. ecgplega, literally "edge play," ecghete, literally "edge hate," both used poetically for "battle"), from Proto-Germanic *agjo (cf. Old Frisian egg "edge;" Old Saxon eggia "point, edge;" Middle Dutch egghe, Dutch eg; Old Norse egg, see egg (v.); Old High German ecka, German Eck "corner"), from PIE root *ak- "sharp, pointed" (cf. Sanskrit asrih "edge," Latin acies, Greek akis "point;" see acrid).

Spelling development of Old English -cg to Middle English -gg to Modern English -dge represents a widespread shift in pronunciation. To get the edge on (someone) is U.S. colloquial, first recorded 1911. Edge city is from Joel Garreau's 1992 book of that name. Razor's edge as a perilous narrow path translates Greek epi xyrou akmes. To have (one's) teeth on edge is from late 14c., though "It is not quite clear what is the precise notion originally expressed in this phrase" [OED].

Idioms and Phrases with edging

edge

In addition to the idioms beginning with edge

edge in
edge out

also see:

cutting edge
get a word in edgewise
have the edge on
on edge
on the edge
over the edge
set one's teeth on edge
take the edge off
thin edge of the wedge

edging

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of edging

edge

noun

verb (used with object), edged, edg·ing.

verb (used without object), edged, edg·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of edge

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for edging

edging

noun

adjective

edge

noun

verb

Word Origin for edge

edging

edge

edge

edge