ledge
Americannoun
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a relatively narrow, projecting part, as a horizontal, shelflike projection on a wall or a raised edge on a tray.
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a more or less flat shelf of rock protruding from a cliff or slope.
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a reef, ridge, or line of rocks in the sea or other body of water.
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Mining.
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a layer or mass of rock underground.
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a lode or vein.
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Carpentry. a member similar to but larger than a cleat.
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Shipbuilding. a minor transverse deck beam running between regular deck beams to form part of a coaming.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a narrow horizontal surface resembling a shelf and projecting from a wall, window, etc
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a layer of rock that contains an ore; vein
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a ridge of rock that lies beneath the surface of the sea
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a narrow shelflike rock projection on a cliff or mountain
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ledge
1300–50; Middle English legge, perhaps derivative of leggen to lay 1; compare Middle High German legge layer, edge, Old English lecg part of a weapon
Explanation
A ledge is a flat, narrow surface or shelf. As you climb a steep mountain, you might find a flat spot sticking out from the cliff — that's an example of a ledge. The word ledge comes from the Old English lædge, which means "a shelf or projection." A ledge can appear in many places, from natural rock formations to man-made structures like buildings and bridges. Windows usually have ledges, and people may display artwork and knickknacks on wall ledges in their homes. Underwater ledges may be formed by reefs or a line of submerged rocks.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We have a great country. We have a country that is under a little bit of a ledge right now," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Last week, Letterman visited Colbert’s show, where both men took to the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater and hurled CBS property off the ledge.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
Tucked away in rural western Maryland, past a dead-end road cut off by railroad tracks, a stream runs cool and clear over a ledge dotted with snails.
From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2026
Twelve-year-old Nico Antic had been jumping off a rock ledge with friends on 18 January when he was attacked by what authorities suspected was a bull shark.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
Crandell and Mullineaux hadn’t found any indication that a deadly cloud of hot gas erupting from Mount St. Helens in the past 4,500 years had ever made it up to this ledge.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Santa Monica resident Rojia Shahsavani said she witnessed three boys taking selfies and sitting on the open window ledges of a white Waymo that traveled from Santa Monica into West L.A. last Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
"Exposed rock ledges, sections of ice breaking away and glacier tongues collapsing in on themselves are increasingly shaping the landscape."
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
And instead of nailing my art to the walls, I had multiple ledges installed that allow me to move pieces around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026
In the covered outdoor corridors, Irhil and the other families have appropriated the space, setting up planters on ledges, a dish-washing station in a classroom sink, and clotheslines between the columns.
From Barron's ● Nov. 20, 2025
When the mining station had first arrived, gulls had crowded onto its rooftops and ledges.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Black bass are good with several ten plus pound fish happening every week found in creek beds, points, and ledged drops.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 22, 2020
"Whatever it may pretend to mean, what it is is a silly absurd toy-lamb with a Christmas-tree flag ledged on its paw—and if it wants to mean anything else, it must look different from that."
From The Rainbow by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
And here, at this house, we are ledged so awfully above the dawn, naked to it.
From Sea and Sardinia by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
Promenaders promenaded in and out of the corridor, and up and down the corridor, and nobody troubled to glance twice either at the heavy-lipped, solitary girl or at the ledged couples.
From The Roll-Call by Bennett, Arnold
Across the saucepan we ledged a sooty swivel, and on the swivel a black tin kettle which leaked slowly into the flame.
From A Poor Man's House by Reynolds, Stephen Sydney
Dee Why-The critical, sucking, ledging point break anchors Sydney's northern beaches.
From Time Magazine Archive
We ran 300 yards down the road to find a ledging, overhead shelf throwing onto a shallow rock bed.
From Time Magazine Archive
Breaks best: May-September Type of wave: A surreal, ledging left that looks more like an avalanche or a tidal wave than anything you'd think was surfable.
From Time Magazine Archive
Each section is completely different from the others, from mushy open faces to ledging closeout barrels.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Dash it!" he said, first fumbling in one waistcoat pocket, and then ledging the portfolio against a step and fumbling in both waistcoat pockets simultaneously.
From The Roll-Call by Bennett, Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
