fringe

[ frinj ]

/ frɪndʒ /

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See synonyms for: fringe / fringed / fringes / fringing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a decorative border of thread, cord, or the like, usually hanging loosely from a raveled edge or separate strip.

anything resembling or suggesting this: a fringe of grass around a swimming pool.

an outer edge; margin; periphery: on the fringe of the art world.

something regarded as peripheral, marginal, secondary, or extreme in relation to something else: the lunatic fringe of a strong political party.

Optics. one of the alternate light and dark bands produced by diffraction or interference.

fringe benefit.

verb (used with object), fringed, fring·ing.

to furnish with or as if with a fringe.

to serve as a fringe for, or to be arranged around or along so as to suggest a fringe: armed guards fringing the building.

OTHER WORDS FOR fringe

2 edge, border, skirt, rim.

See synonyms for fringe on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of fringe

1325–75; Middle English frenge<Old French (French frange) <Vulgar Latin *frimbia, metathetic variant of Late Latin fimbria,Latin fimbriae fringe

OTHER WORDS FROM fringe

fringeless, adjectivefringelike, adjectivefringy, adjectiveun·der·fringe, noun

un·fringe, verb (used with object), un·fringed, un·fring·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fringe in a sentence

Attention is turning toward Parler and other fringe platforms in the aftermath of the events on Capitol Hill at a time when social networks are under increasing scrutiny for the role they play in encouraging off-platform violence.
Parler, the “free speech” social network, explained|Rebecca Heilweil|January 7, 2021|Vox
I look for people who may have felt as though they are on the fringes of this dominant food culture.
Indian Americans: The New Voices Bringing Diversity to Food Writing|Shaan Merchant|January 7, 2021|Ozy
So Peñarrubia and Petersen spent most of lockdown figuring out how to neutralize the motions of the Earth and the sun, and how to average out the motion of halo stars so that the halo’s outer fringe could serve as a stationary backdrop.
The New History of the Milky Way|Charlie Wood|December 15, 2020|Quanta Magazine
These bullish forces have pushed the Cassandras to the fringes of the market in 2020.
Little Big Shorts: How tiny ‘activist’ firms became sheriffs in the stock market’s Wild West|Bernhard Warner|December 3, 2020|Fortune

In cooled warehouses on the fringes of Frankfurt airport, Deutsche Lufthansa AG is preparing its depleted fleet for the gargantuan task of airlifting millions of doses of the vaccines meant to end the global pandemic.
Airlines are facing ‘mission of the century’ in shipping COVID vaccines|McKenna Moore|December 1, 2020|Fortune
Allen's white shirts grew fringy at the edges with fatigue-duty, and his large hands were furry at the fingers with much soap.
Not Pretty, But Precious|John Hay, et al.
My jacket collar is all fringy round the edges, and the top button is split.
Glory and the Other Girl|Annie Hamilton Donnell
Once in a while they peeped between the soft fringy leaves of these to see what he was doing.
Among the Night People|Clara Dillingham Pierson
No fringy-panted scarecrow upon a horse too good for him—stolen probably at that.
Winner Take All|Larry Evans
Here the trees grew to immense heights before they put forth their crown of fringy foliage.
The Motor Maids by Palm and Pine|Katherine Stokes

British Dictionary definitions for fringe

fringe

/ (frɪndʒ) /

noun

an edging consisting of hanging threads, tassels, etc

an outer edge; periphery
(as modifier)fringe dwellers; a fringe area

(modifier) unofficial; not conventional in formfringe theatre

mainly British a section of the front hair cut short over the forehead

an ornamental border or margin

physics any of the light and dark or coloured bands produced by diffraction or interference of light

verb (tr)

to adorn or fit with a fringe or fringes

to be a fringe forfur fringes the satin

Derived forms of fringe

fringeless, adjective

Word Origin for fringe

C14: from Old French frenge, ultimately from Latin fimbria fringe, border; see fimbria

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

fringe

OTHER WORDS FOR fringe

Origin of fringe

OTHER WORDS FROM fringe

Words related to fringe

How to use fringe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fringe

Derived forms of fringe

Word Origin for fringe