edge

From Middle English egge, from Old English eċġ, from Proto-Germanic *agjō (compare Dutch egge, German Ecke, Swedish egg, Norwegian egg), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) (compare Welsh hogi (“to sharpen, hone”), Latin aciēs (“sharp”), acus (“needle”), Latvian ašs, ass (“sharp”), Ancient Greek ἀκίς (akís, “needle”), ἀκμή (akmḗ, “point”), and Persian آس‎ (ās, “grinding stone”)).

• IPA^(key): /ɛdʒ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Hyphenation: edge
• Rhymes: -ɛdʒ

edge (plural edges)

1. The boundary line of a surface.
2. (geometry) A one-dimensional face of a polytope. In particular, the joining line between two vertices of a polygon; the place where two faces of a polyhedron meet.
3. An advantage.

   I have the edge on him.

   • 2013 December, Paul Voss, “Small Drones Deserve Sensible Regulation”, in IEEE Spectrum:

     It’s no secret that the United States may be losing its edge in civilian aviation. Nowhere is this more apparent than with small unmanned aircraft, those tiny flying robots that promise to transform agriculture, forestry, pipeline monitoring, filmmaking, and more.

   • 2017 August 25, Euan McKirdy et al, "Arrest warrant to be issued for former Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra", in edition.cnn.com, CNN:

     Thitinan said Yingluck's decision to skip the verdict hearing will have "emboldened" the military government. "They would not have wanted to put her in jail, in this scenario, (but her not showing up today) puts her on the back foot and gives them an edge."

4. (also figuratively) The thin cutting side of the blade of an instrument, such as an ax, knife, sword, or scythe; that which cuts as an edge does, or wounds deeply, etc.
   • c. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act 3, Scene 4, 1818, The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare, Volume 6, C. Whittingham, London, page 49:

     No, 'tis slander; / Whose edge is sharper than the sword;

   • 1833, Adam Clarke (editor), Revelations, II, 12, The New Testament, page 929:

     And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges:

5. A sharp terminating border; a margin; a brink; an extreme verge.

   The cup is right on the edge of the table.

   He is standing on the edge of a precipice.

   • 1598, William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost, Act 4, Scene 1, 1830, George Steevens (editor), The Dramatic Works of William Shakspeare, Volume 1, page 166:

     Here by, upon the edge of yonder coppice; / A stand, where you may make the fairest shoot.

   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1824, Edwartd Hawkins (editor), The Poetical Works of John Milton, Volume 1, page 32:

     In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge / Of battle when it rag'd, in all assaults

   • 1820, Sir W. Scott, Ivanhoe, 1833, The Complete Works of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 3, page 9:

     […] they never wanted the pretext, and seldom the will, to harass and pursue, even to the very edge of destruction, any of their less powerful neighbours […] .

6. Sharpness; readiness or fitness to cut; keenness; intenseness of desire.
   • a. 1667, Jeremy Taylor, Sermon X: The Faith and Patience of the Saints, Part 2, The Whole Sermons of Jeremy Taylor, 1841, page 69:

     Death and persecution lose all the ill that they can have, if we do not set an edge upon them by our fears and by our vices.

   • 1820, Sir W. Scott, Ivanhoe, 1827, page 175:

     […] we are to turn the full edge of our indignation upon the accursed instrument, which had so well nigh occasioned his utter falling away.

7. The border or part adjacent to the line of division; the beginning or early part (of a period of time)

   in the edge of evening

   • 1853 (1670), John Milton, Charles R. Sumner (translator), The History of Britain, The Prose Works of John Milton, Volume V, page 203:

     […] supposing that the new general, unacquainted with his army, and on the edge of winter, would not hastily oppose them.

8. (cricket) A shot where the ball comes off the edge of the bat, often unintentionally.
   • 2004 March 29, R. Bharat Rao Short report: Ind-Pak T1D2 Session 1 in rec.sports.cricket, Usenet

     Finally another edge for 4, this time dropped by the keeper

9. (graph theory) A connected pair of vertices in a graph.
10. In male masturbation, a level of sexual arousal that is maintained just short of reaching the point of inevitability, or climax; see also edging.

• (advantage): advantage, gain
• (sharp terminating border): brink, boundary, lip, margin, rim
• (in graph theory): line

• live on the edge
• on edge

• edge on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Mathworld article on the edges of polygons
• Mathworld article on the edges of polyhedra
• Science book

edge (third-person singular simple present edges, present participle edging, simple past and past participle edged)

1. (transitive) To move an object slowly and carefully in a particular direction.

   He edged the book across the table.

2. (intransitive) To move slowly and carefully in a particular direction.

   He edged away from her.

   • 2011 April 11, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Carroll has been edging slowly towards full fitness after his expensive arrival from Newcastle United and his partnership with £23m Luis Suarez showed rich promise as Liverpool controlled affairs from start to finish.

3. (usually in the form 'just edge') To win by a small margin.
4. (cricket, transitive) To hit the ball with an edge of the bat, causing a fine deflection.
5. (transitive) To trim the margin of a lawn where the grass meets the sidewalk, usually with an electric or gas-powered lawn edger.
6. (transitive) To furnish with an edge; to construct an edging.
   • 2005, Paige Gilchrist, The Big Book of Backyard Projects: Walls, Fences, Paths, Patios, Benches, Chairs & More, Section 2: Paths and Walkways, page 181,

     If you're edging with stone, brick, or another material in a lawn area, set the upper surfaces of the edging just at or not more than ½ inch above ground level so it won't be an obstacle to lawn mowers.

7. To furnish with an edge, as a tool or weapon; to sharpen.
   • Dryden

     to edge her champion's sword

8. (figuratively) To make sharp or keen; to incite; to exasperate; to goad; to urge or egg on.
   • Hayward

     By such reasonings, the simple were blinded, and the malicious edged.

9. (intransitive) To delay one's orgasm so as to remain almost at the point of orgasm.
   • 2011, Nicholson Baker, House of Holes‎, page 181:

     “I think of it as mine, but, yes, it's his cock I've been edging with. Do you edge?”

   • 2012, Ryan Field, Lasting Lust: An Anthology of Kinky Couples in Love‎, page 33:

     Paul had been edging since the first young guy started to fuck, and he wanted Paul to come inside his body that night.

   • 2012, Ryan Field, Field of Dreams: The Very Best Stories of Ryan Field, page 44

     His mouth was open and he was still jerking his dick. Justin knew he must have been edging by then.

• re-edge
• reedge

• edge out
• edge up

• 1925, Walter Anthony and Tom Reed (titles), Rupert Julian (director), The Phantom of the Opera, silent movie

  In Mlle. Carlotta’s correspondence there appeared another letter, edged in black!

• geed