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edge definition

edge (ej)

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
  6. an intense, harsh, or irritable quality his voice had a distinct edge
  7. Geom. a line or line segment at which two plane surfaces meet
  8. ☆ Informal advantage you have an edge on me
  9. Informal the quality of being edgy (sense )

Etymology: ME egge < OE ecg, akin to ON egg, Ger ecke, corner < IE base *ak-, sharp: see acid

transitive verb edged, edging edg′·ing

    1. to form or put an edge on; provide an edge for
    2. to trim the edge of
  2. to make (one's way) sideways, as through a crowd
  3. to move gradually or cautiously
  4. Informal to defeat in a contest by a narrow margin: often with out
  5. ☆ Skiing to tilt (a ski) so that one edge bites into the snow, as in traversing a slope

intransitive verb

  1. to move sideways
  2. to move gradually or cautiously to edge away from danger

Related Forms:

edge Idioms

on edge

  1. so tense or nervous as to be easily upset; irritable
  2. eager; impatient

set someone's teeth on edge

  1. to give a sensation of tingling discomfort, as the sound of a fingernail scraped on a slate does
  2. to irritate; provoke

take the edge off

to dull the intensity, force, or pleasure of

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms edge idiom

telecom EDGE definition - telecom

edge Synonyms

edge

n.

  1. The outer portion

    border, frontier, extremity, portal, threshold, brink, boundary, end, term, limit, edging, molding, brim, rim, margin, ring, frame, side, corner, point, bend, crook, hook, split, peak, tip, turn, crust, verge, bound, ledge, skirt, outskirt(s), lip, limb, hem, welt, seam, selvage, terminator, fringe, frill, flange, flounce, list, listing, trimming, mouth, shore, strand, dike, quay, bank, beach, wharf, dock, mole, curb, crest, deckle, berm, groin, arris, gunwale, periphery, circumference, perimeter; see also rim.

    Antonyms surface, center*, interior. *

  2. Anything linear and sharp

    blade, cutting edge, razor edge; see knife, razor.

  3. *Advantage

    upper hand, handicap, head start; see advantage 1, 2.

on edge

nervous, tense, uptight*; see excited, irritable.

set one's teeth on edge

irritate, annoy, provoke; see bother 2.

take the edge off

weaken, subdue, dull; see soften 2. See syn. study at rim.


edge

v.

trim, border, fringe, bind; see decorate, trim 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

edge Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • cut: Knife edge: the cutting edge of a knife.

Adjective modifier

  • competitive: Our aim is to equip your staff with the skills they need to give your business a competitive edge.

Modifies a noun

  • connector: There are more costly options available where this is not possible, for example with some boards with edge connectors.

Noun used with modifier

  • cliff: Why is a species equipped with a rational consciousness rushing toward the cliff edge like a pack of mad yaks on smack?

Preposition: of

  • cliff: Brakes willing, you stop 140m above the sea itself, on the edge of a towering cliff.
edge usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

edge quotes

The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation† The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.

-Bronowski,Jacob

Soit donc que vous composiez, soit donc que vous jouiez, ne pensez non plus au spectateur que s'il n'existait pas. Imaginez sur le bord du the¤  a"  tre, un grand mur qui vous se¤  pare du parterre; jouez comme si la toile ne se levait pas. Whether you compose or act, think no more of the spectator than if he did not exist. Imagine at the edge of the stage a large wall which separates you from the orchestra; act as if the curtain never rose.

-Diderot, Denis

   We stand today on the edge of a new frontier. But the new frontierof which I speak isnot a set of promises.It is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not their pocketbooköit holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security.

-Kennedy,John F(itzgerald)

edge quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"edge." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
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edge. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/edge

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