BRIDGE

I. noun Etymology: Middle English brigge, from Old English brycg; akin to Old High German brucka ~, Old Church Slavic brŭvŭno beam Date: before 12th century 1. a structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression or obstacle, a time, place, or means of connection or transition, something resembling a ~ in form or function: as, the upper bony part of the nose, a piece raising the strings of a musical instrument, the forward part of a ship's superstructure from which the ship is navigated, gantry 2b, the hand as a rest for a billiards or pool cue, 3. a musical passage linking two sections of a composition, a partial denture anchored to adjacent teeth, a connection (as an atom or group of atoms) that joins two different parts of a molecule (as opposite sides of a ring), an electrical instrument or network for measuring or comparing resistances, inductances, capacitances, or impedances by comparing the ratio of two opposing voltages to a known ratio, ~less adjective II. transitive verb (~d; bridging) Date: before 12th century to make a ~ over or across , to provide with a ~, ~able adjective III. noun Etymology: alteration of earlier biritch, of unknown origin Date: circa 1897 any of various card games for usually four players in two partnerships that bid for the right to declare a trump suit, seek to win tricks equal to the final bid, and play with the hand of declarer's partner exposed and played by declarer