I. fringe 1 /frɪndʒ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin fimbria 'threads' ]
1 . British English if you have a fringe, your hair is cut so that it hangs down over your forehead SYN bangs American English :
a tall girl with straight brown hair and a fringe
2 . a decorative edge of hanging threads on a curtain, piece of clothing etc
3 . on the fringes (of something)
a) not completely belonging to or accepted by a group of people who share the same job, activities etc:
a small group on the fringes of the art world
b) ( also on the fringe ) at the part of something that is farthest from the centre SYN on the edge of something :
Nina remained on the fringe of the crowd.
⇨ the lunatic fringe at ↑ lunatic (3)
II. fringe 2 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
fringe group/event/issue etc a group, event etc that is less important or popular than the main group etc, or whose opinions are not accepted by most other people involved in the same activity OPP mainstream :
He used a party conference fringe meeting to defend terrorism.
The environment is no longer a fringe issue.
a fringe religious sect
III. fringe 3 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to be around the edge of something:
A line of trees fringed the pool.