EDGE


Meaning of EDGE in English

I. ej noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English egge, from Old English ecg; akin to Old Saxon eggia edge of a blade, edge, Old High German ecka, Old Norse & Old Frisian egg, Latin acies sharp edge, point, acer sharp, Greek akmē point, edge, Late Greek akē point, Sanskrit aśri corner, angle, edge

1.

a. : the cutting side of the blade of an instrument

the edge of an ax

b. archaic : an edged weapon or tool

c. : the sharpness or degree of sharpness of a blade

the sickle has no edge

d.

(1) obsolete : ardor or inclination especially for battle

(2) : force , effectiveness

local resistance blunted the edge of radical legislation at Washington

: vigor or energy especially of mind and body

he looked and acted flabby; the edge of him was gone — Carleton Beals

: incisive or penetrating quality (as of thought or expression)

the cutting edge of Machiavelli's irony — E.R.Bentley

: a quality of hardness, harshness, or bite

his voice had an edge like ice — John Buchan

your goodness must have an edge in it — else it is none — R.W.Emerson

(3) : keenness or intensity especially of desire or enjoyment

when they'd taken the edge off their own hunger — Kenneth Roberts

: relish , zest , savor

flying bombs … gave a brilliant edge of chance to homely days and nights — Audrey Barker

: spur , stimulus

to give more edge to the contest, he felt for his rival the bitter hate that … was typically Venetian — T.B.Costain

2.

a. : the extreme verge or brink (as of a cliff or precipice)

b. : the crest of a ridge of hills : the escarpment of a plateau

3.

a. : the line or point where a material object or area begins or ends : border

the town stands on the edge of a plain

a smoldering hulk, burned to the water's edge — H.A.Chippendale

also : the portion of the surface of an object or area that is adjacent to its border

walked on the edge of the deck

b. : a point near the beginning or the end (as of an era, condition, subject, or action) : a dividing line or line of transition from one state or condition to another : margin — often used in the phrase on the edge

science stood on the edge of a major theoretical advance

her body hovered delicately on the last edge of childhood — Scott Fitzgerald

many of the ranches … are on the edge of bankruptcy — H.W.Baldwin

was on the edge of screaming

4. obsolete : edging , border

5. : a terminating border

the edge of a tablecloth

: a line that is the intersection of two plane faces of a solid object

the edges of a pyramid

: the relatively thin surface or side of any object bounded by plane surfaces

the edge of a book

6.

a. : the inside or outside verge of the blade of a skate

b. : a skating stroke including appropriate body lean made on one edge of the blade of a skate

a forward inside edge

also : the resultant pattern cut in the ice

7. : the privilege in poker of betting last after the other players have revealed their intentions — called also age

8. : a favorable margin : advantage

had the edge on top speed — A.S.Kramer

the open spaces that gave the suburb … an edge over the city — Lewis Mumford

a decisive edge in military strength

9. slang : a condition of being intoxicated : degree of intoxication

got a good edge on — Ernest Hemingway

Synonyms: see border

- on edge

II. verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English eggen, from egge, n.

transitive verb

1. : to give an edge to

asked him to edge the ax

hurt resentment edged his wife's voice — G.G.Carter

2. obsolete : to set (one's teeth) on edge

3.

a.

(1) : to finish (an edge) with a binding, band, strip, or trimming

edge a blouse with lace

edge a plywood counter

(2) : to decorate an edge of (as a book)

(3) : to level an edge of (a rafter) ; also : to square an edge of

b. : to serve as a border to : fringe

warehouses and terminals edge the 25-mile waterfront — L.A.Borah

: be on an edge of

grew up in a community still edging the wilderness — H.M.Kallen

now edging sixty, he retains all his vigor

4. archaic : to urge or egg on

5. : to move gradually or by pressing forward edgewise

edged his master out of hearing — George Meredith

edge him off the road

: force (as from a position) by the application of pressure

edging his foes out of every position of influence

: displace

machine-made muslins and calicoes have been edging out native-made muslins — John Murra

6.

a. : to strike (a bowled ball) in cricket with the edge of the bat

b. : to incline (a ski) sideways so that one edge cuts into the surface of the snow

intransitive verb

: to move in one direction by degrees

edged over the open plains toward the western extremities of the country — Oscar Handlin

edge away from his responsibilities

: move edgeways

began to edge along the front of the bureau — Berton Roueché

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.