Edge

How to spell edge

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce edge

What does edge mean?

1. nounThe outside limit or boundary of an object, surface, or area.
2. verbTo move slowly and carefully, often sideways or little by little.
3. nounA slight superiority or advantage over a rival.

Edge in a sentence

• noun

  She left the cup too close to the edge of the table.

• verb

  He tried to edge closer to the front of the queue.

• noun

  Better training gave the team a real edge over their opponents.

• noun

  A narrow path runs along the edge of the field.

• verb

  Prices continue to edge higher each month.

• noun

  Fluency in two languages can give a candidate an edge at interview.

Where does edge come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a thoroughly native English word, descending from the Old English ecg, which meant the sharp side of a blade as well as a corner or border. It traces back to a Proto-Germanic root agjo, the same source that gave German Ecke 'corner' and the Old Norse egg 'edge', and ultimately to an Indo-European root meaning 'sharp' or 'pointed' that also lies behind Latin acies 'sharp point' and acer 'sharp'. The earliest English sense was specifically the cutting line of a sword or knife, and only later did the meaning broaden to any border, rim, or boundary of a thing. The figurative sense of a slight advantage, as in 'a competitive edge', is a much more recent development that pictures the keener blade winning out. The simple four-letter spelling hides little danger, though the soft -dge ending is the same pattern seen in bridge and ridge.

How the word is built

• edge (from Old English ecg: corner, blade); a single native root with no affixes