Definition of 'edge'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense edges
, present participle edging
, past tense, past participle edged
1. countable noun
The edge of something is the place or line where it stops, or the part of it that is furthest
from the middle.
4. singular noun
5. singular noun
If someone or something has an edge, they have an advantage that makes them stronger or more likely to be successful than another thing or person.
6. singular noun
8. See also cutting edge, knife-edge, leading edge
9.
See on edge
10.
11.
See rough edges
12.
Phrasal verbs:
See edge out
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
edge
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
edge in British English
noun
3. mathematics
a.
a line along which two faces or surfaces of a solid meet
4.
the sharp cutting side of a blade
5.
keenness, sharpness, or urgency
the walk gave an edge to his appetite
6.
force, effectiveness, or incisiveness
the performance lacked edge
8. See have the edge on
9. See on edge
verb
11. (transitive)
to provide an edge or border for
12. (transitive)
to edge a pie
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
edgeless (ˈedgeless) adjective
edger (ˈedger)
noun
Word origin
Old English ecg; related to Old Norse egg, Old High German ecka edge, Latin aciēs sharpness, Greek akis point
edge in American English
noun
1.
the thin, sharp, cutting part of a blade
2.
the quality of being sharp or keen
3.
the projecting ledge or brink, as of a cliff
4.
the part farthest from the middle; line where something begins or ends; border, or
part nearest the border; margin
5.
the verge or brink, as of a condition
8. US, Informal
advantage
you have an edge on me
verb transitiveWord forms: edged or ˈedging
10.
a.
to form or put an edge on; provide an edge for
b.
to trim the edge of
11.
to make (one's way) sideways, as through a crowd
12.
to move gradually or cautiously
verb intransitive
15.
to move sideways
16.
to move gradually or cautiously
to edge away from danger
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈborder
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
edger (ˈedger)
noun
edge in American English
(edʒ) (verb edged, edging)
noun
1.
a line or border at which a surface terminates
Grass grew along the edges of the road
The paper had deckle edges
2.
a brink or verge
the edge of a cliff
the edge of disaster
3.
any of the narrow surfaces of a thin, flat object
a book with gilt edges
4.
a line at which two surfaces of a solid object meet
an edge of a box
5.
the thin, sharp side of the blade of a cutting instrument or weapon
7.
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
9.
an improved position; advantage
He gained the edge on his opponent
11. Ice Skating
12. Skiing
one of the two edges on the bottom of a ski that is angled into a slope when making
a turn
13. See have an edge on
14. See on edge
15. See set one's teeth on edge
transitive verb
16.
to put an edge on; sharpen
17.
to provide with an edge or border
to edge a terrace with shrubbery
to edge a skirt with lace
18.
to make or force (one's way) gradually by moving sideways
intransitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. rim, lip. 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. 20.
to move sideways
to edge through a crowd
21.
to advance gradually or cautiously
a car edging up to a curb
22. See edge in
23. See edge out
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
edgeless adjective
Word origin
[bef. 1000; ME egge, OE ecg; c. G Ecke corner; akin to L aciēs, Gk akís point]Examples of 'edge' in a sentence
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In other languages
edge
British English: edge
/ɛdʒ/ NOUN
The edge of something is the place or line where it stops, or the part of it that is furthest from the middle.
We were on the edge of town.
- American English: edge /ˈɛdʒ/
- Arabic: حافَّة
- Brazilian Portuguese: beira
- Chinese: 边缘
- Croatian: rub
- Czech: okraj
- Danish: kant
- Dutch: rand
- European Spanish: borde
- Finnish: reuna raja
- French: bord
- German: Rand
- Greek: παρυφή
- Italian: margine
- Japanese: 端
- Korean: 가장자리
- Norwegian: kant
- Polish: krawędź
- European Portuguese: beira
- Romanian: margine
- Russian: край
- Latin American Spanish: filo
- Swedish: kant
- Thai: ขอบ
- Turkish: sınır
- Ukrainian: край
- Vietnamese: rìa
British English: edge
VERB /ɛdʒ/
If someone or something edges somewhere, they move very slowly in that direction.
He edged closer to the telephone, ready to grab it.
- American English: edge /ˈɛdʒ/
- Brazilian Portuguese: direcionar-se
- Chinese: 慢慢移动
- European Spanish: acercarse poco a poco
- French: avancer
- German: sich bewegen
- Italian: avanzare lentamente
- Japanese: じりじり進む
- Korean: 아주 조금씩 다가가다
- European Portuguese: direcionar-se
- Latin American Spanish: acercarse poco a poco
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