Edge I Edʒ Extra Sharp Rough Noun Gripped

• i gripped the edge of my desk to steady myself.
• the first spacecraft to travel to the edge of the solar system.
• he stood on the edge of the cliff.
• stand the coin on its edge.

edge

1. the outside limit of an object, a surface or an area; the part furthest from the centre
• SEE ALSO bleeding edge
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/bleeding-edge
• I gripped the edge of my desk to steady myself.
• the first spacecraft to travel to the edge of the solar system.
• He stood on the edge of the cliff.
• Stand the coin on its edge.
• a big house on/at the edge of town
• I sat down at the water's edge.
• Don't put that glass so near the edge of the table.
• She tore the page out roughly, leaving a ragged edge in the book.

Extra Examples

• My foot caught the edge of the table.
• She sat on the edge of her bed.
• My fingers played with the frayed edges of my jeans.
• Flip the fabric over so the cut edge is now to your left.
• She could see rocky cliffs on the opposite edge of the lake.
• Smoke was making its way around the edges of the door.
• The building forms the northern edge of the courtyard.
• The road skirts the western edge of the forest.
• Trees lined the edges of the path.
• We had reached the edge of the map and didn't know which way to go.
• the top edge of the picture frame
2. the sharp part of a knife, blade or sword that is used for cutting
• SEE ALSO knife-edge
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/knife-edge
• Be careful—it has a sharp edge.
• a knife with a serrated edge
3. the point at which something, especially something bad, may begin to happen
• SYNONYM brink
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/brink
• They had brought the country to the edge of disaster.
4. a slight advantage over somebody/something
• The company needs to improve its competitive edge.
• They have the edge on us.

Extra Examples

• Their training gave them an extra edge.
• He believes Marseilles have a slight edge as they face Rangers at home.
• The intensive training she had done gave her the edge over the other runners.
• This is one of the key ways in which the firm can gain the edge over its competitors.
5. a strong, often exciting, quality
• Her show now has a hard political edge to it.
6. a sharp tone of voice, often showing anger
• He did his best to remain calm, but there was a distinct edge to his voice.
7. having the type of edge or edges mentioned
• SEE ALSO gilt-edged
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/gilt-edged
• a lace-edged handkerchief
8. to be nervous, excited or easily made angry
9. to be in a difficult situation where any mistake may be very dangerous
• Social workers operate on the razor’s edge.
10. to start to come apart or to fail
• Support for the leader was fraying at the edges.
11. very excited and giving your full attention to something
• The game had the crowd on the edge of their seats.
• I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next.
12. to force somebody to lose control of their behaviour, usually after a particular event or series of events
• No one knows exactly what caused his breakdown, but losing his job may have pushed him over the edge.
13. (to have some) small parts, for example in a performance or in your character, that are not yet as good as they should be
• The ballet still had some rough edges.
• He had a few rough edges knocked off at school.
• The films are very rough around the edges.
14. to make somebody feel physically uncomfortable
• Just the sound of her voice sets my teeth on edge.
15. to make something less strong, less bad, etc.
• The sandwich took the edge off my appetite.
• I just need something to take the edge off.
• I took an aspirin to take the edge off the pain.
• A squeeze of lemon takes the edge off the sweetness.
16. to be very close to a very unpleasant or dangerous situation
• The country is teetering on the edge of civil war.

Word Origin

• Old English ecg ‘sharpened side of a blade’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch egge and German Ecke, also to Old Norse eggja ‘incite’, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin acies ‘edge’ and Greek akis ‘point’.