Verge Definition

vûrj

verged, verges, verging

noun

verges

The edge, brink, or margin (of something)

The verge of the forest, on the verge of hysteria.

Webster's New World

A grassy border, as along a road.

Webster's New World

An enclosing line or border; boundary, esp. of something more or less circular.

Webster's New World

The part of a sloping roof that extends beyond a gable wall.

Webster's New World

The point beyond which an action, state, or condition is likely to begin or occur; the brink.

On the verge of tears; a nation on the verge of economic prosperity.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

verged, verges, verging

To approach the nature or condition of something specified; come close. Used with on .

A brilliance verging on genius.

American Heritage

To be on or as if on the verge, edge, brink, or border: usually with on or upon.

Streets verging on the slum area, talk that verges on the ridiculous.

Webster's New World

To tend or incline (to or toward)

Webster's New World

To tend to move in a particular direction.

American Heritage

To be in the process of change or transition into something else; pass gradually (into)

Dawn verging into daylight.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Verge

Singular:

verge

Plural:

From Middle French verge (“rod or wand of office"), hence "scope, territory dominated", from Latin virga (“shoot, rod stick"), of unknown origin. Earliest attested sense in English is now-obsolete meaning "male member, penis" (c.1400). Modern sense is from the notion of 'within the verge' (1509, also as Anglo-Norman dedeinz la verge), i.e. "subject to the Lord High Steward's authority" (as symbolized by the rod of office), originally a 12-mile radius round the royal court, which sense shifted to "the outermost edge of an expanse or area."

From Wiktionary
From Latin vergō (“to bend, turn, tend toward, incline"), from Proto-Indo-European *werg- (“to turn"), from a root Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to turn, bend") (compare versus); strongly influenced by the above noun.

From Wiktionary
From Jèrriais vergée, Guernésiais vergée, from Anglo-Norman vergé, vergee, originally terre vergee (“measured land”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old French rod, ring from Latin virga rod, strip

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Latin vergere wer-² in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition