bridge

BRIJ/bɹɪd͡ʒ/

Pluralbridges

Verbbridges, bridging, bridged

34 meanings of bridge

Practice

1
built spannouncountable
A structure built over a river, road, or valley so people and vehicles can cross.
Like a plank laid across a stream so you can walk to the other side.
The bridge over the river was closed for repairs.
Workers built a new bridge across the deep valley.
UsageYou cross a bridge over a river.
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2
verbtransitive
To connect two things that are far apart or very different.
Like a rope thrown across a gap to join two cliffs.
Music can bridge differences between very distant cultures.
Her research bridges science and art.
UsageSay bridge the gap between two things.
Similarclose, narrow, connect, link, span
Oppositewiden, divide
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3
nouncountable
Something that joins two things or groups, in a real way or in an idea.
Sports can be a bridge between people who speak different languages.
This summer class is a bridge between high school and college.
UsageSay a bridge between two groups.
Similarlink, connection, bond
Oppositebarrier, divide
Note
4
on a shipnouncountable
The raised room or area on a ship where the officers steer it and control everything.
Like the driver's seat of a car, but for a whole ship.
The captain stood on the bridge watching the storm roll in.
Officers on the bridge guided the ship into the harbor.
UsageThe captain is on the bridge.
Similarwheelhouse
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5
nosenouncountable
The hard upper part of the nose, between the eyes.
Like a small ridge running down between your eyes.
His glasses left a red mark on the bridge of his nose.
She broke the bridge of her nose playing soccer.
UsageSay the bridge of your nose.
Note
6
song sectionnouncountable
A different-sounding part of a song that leads back to the main tune.
Like a short detour in a song before it returns to the main road.
The song's bridge slows down to a gentler beat.
After the bridge, the chorus comes back louder than before.
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7
string instrumentnouncountable
The small piece on a string instrument that holds the strings up off the body.
Like a small stand that lifts the strings up off the wood.
The violin's bridge fell over when a string suddenly broke.
He carefully placed the bridge back on his guitar.
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8
card gamenoununcountable
A card game for four people who play as two teams of two.
Like a team card game where you and a partner work together against another pair.
We played bridge with the neighbors on Friday night.
My grandmother taught me how to play bridge.
UsageSay play bridge or a game of bridge.
Note
9
nouncountable
In computers, a part or program that links two separate systems or networks so they can work together.
Like a translator who helps two people speaking different languages talk to each other.
The team wrote a bridge to link the two apps.
A bridge passes data from the old system to the new one.
Similarconnector, gateway, adapter
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Less common meanings

10
nouncountable
A fixed dental part that fills the gap left by one or more missing teeth.
Like filling a gap in a fence by attaching a new section to the posts beside it.
The dentist fitted her with a bridge to replace two teeth.
His new bridge made it much easier to chew again.
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11
verbtransitive
To stretch across a gap and connect the two sides.
Like a plank reaching from one bank to the other.
A fallen log bridges the narrow stream behind the house.
They plan to bridge the river next year.
Similarspan, cross, traverse
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12
nouncountable
The part of a pair of glasses that joins the two lenses and rests on your nose.
The bridge of my glasses snapped when I sat on them.
These frames have a thin metal bridge that you can bend to fit.
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13
gymnasticsnouncountable
A position where you arch your back upward and hold yourself up on your hands and feet, or feet and head.
Like bending your body into an arch, the way a rainbow curves across the sky.
Lying flat on the mat, she arched up into a bridge.
Learning a bridge takes strong wrists and a flexible spine.
Similarbackbend
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14
join networksverbtransitive
To join two or more computer networks together so they work as one.
Like joining two rooms with a door so people can move freely between them.
You can bridge the two networks so every computer shares one connection.
The technician bridged the office network to the lab network.
Similarconnect, link, join
Note
15
verbtransitive
To move smoothly from one part of a song to the next without stopping.
Like joining two roads so cars can keep moving without stopping.
The band can bridge two songs without any pause.
DJs bridge one track into the next so the music never stops.
Similarlink, connect
Note
16
raised supportnouncountable
A part held up at both ends that keeps one thing off another, or makes a raised platform for something to cross.
Like a small footbridge that holds something up off the ground below.
The watchmaker fitted a tiny bridge to hold the wheel in place.
A small metal bridge kept the moving part from rubbing the base.
17
hand shape (cue)nouncountable
In pool or snooker, the hand shape or special stick that holds the cue steady for a shot.
Like making a little tunnel with your fingers for the stick to slide through.
He formed a bridge with his hand before taking the shot.
A steady bridge helps you aim the cue accurately.
Note
18
toward agreementnouncountable
An offer or statement that shows two sides might be able to agree.
Like reaching out your hand to show you want to be friends again.
Her speech offered a bridge to the other side.
The union saw the company's new offer as a bridge to a deal.
Similaroverture, opening
Note
19
cycling chasenouncountable
In cycling, the move of catching up to the riders ahead by closing the gap to them.
Like sprinting to catch up with friends who walked ahead of you.
She made a quick bridge to reach the leaders before the climb.
His late bridge brought him up to the breakaway with two laps left.
Note
20
arch up (wrestling)verbintransitive
In wrestling, to arch up onto your feet and head to keep your shoulders off the mat.
Like pushing your body up into an arch so your back never flattens out.
He had to bridge fast to stop the pin.
When you bridge, push your hips high and keep your neck strong.
Similararch
Note
21
chemistrynouncountable
In chemistry, a bond, an atom or a chain of atoms that links two separate parts of the same molecule.
Like a small walkway joining two separate buildings into one.
A single oxygen atom forms the bridge between the two rings.
Chemists drew the bridge linking both halves of the molecule.
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22
bowling ballnouncountable
On a bowling ball, the small space of solid surface between the finger holes.
Like the strip of land between two ponds dug close together.
He asked for a wider bridge on his new bowling ball.
A narrow bridge on the ball can crack under repeated throws.
Note
23
solder jointnouncountable
An unwanted blob of solder that connects two points on a circuit board that should stay apart.
Like a drop of glue that accidentally sticks two things together that should be apart.
A tiny solder bridge between two pins kept the board from working.
He found the bridge and cleared it with a quick touch of the iron.
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24
measuring circuitnouncountable
An electrical instrument that measures things like resistance by balancing parts of a circuit against each other.
Like a see-saw you adjust until both sides match, telling you the unknown weight.
The technician used a bridge to measure the coil's resistance.
In the lab, we used a bridge to measure the wire's resistance.
Note
25
lone link (graph)nouncountable
In math, a line in a network that, if you take it away, splits the network into separate pieces.
Like the only path connecting two islands: take it away and you can't get across.
If that link is a bridge, removing it cuts the network in two.
In this graph, removing the bridge splits it into two parts.
Note
26
extra holidaynouncountable
A workday that falls between two public holidays and is given off as an extra day of vacation.
Like filling the one empty step between two days off so they join into one long break.
With holidays on Monday and Wednesday, we got Tuesday off as a bridge day.
We used the bridge day between the two holidays to visit Grandma.
27
turtle shellnouncountable
In turtles, the bony part that joins the top shell to the bottom shell.
Like the side wall that joins the lid and base of a box into one shell.
The turtle's bridge holds its top and bottom shells firmly together.
You can see the bridge along the side of the turtle's shell.
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28
card cheatingnouncountable
A way of cheating at cards by bending a card so the deck can be cut at a chosen spot.
Like bending one page in a book so it always falls open at the same place.
The cardsharp set up a bridge so the deck would cut where he wanted.
She spotted the bridge in the deck and refused to play on.
Similarcrimp
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29
noun
A short-term treatment that keeps a patient going until the real treatment.
30
noun
A place in a line of a poem where a word may not end.
31
noun
A low wall inside a furnace that pushes the flames aside.
32
noun
A hard layer of caked salt that forms over the water in a softener tank.
33
noun
In roller derby, players in a long line joined to the pack to block better.
34
verb
In roller derby, to make a long line of blockers joined to the pack.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bridge apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–7, 9–28

From Old English brycġ, meaning "bridge." The verb comes from the noun. The song-section sense copies German Steg.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

The noun bridge descends from Old English brycġ. en.wiktionary.org
Old English brycġ means bridge. en.wiktionary.org
The verb derives from the noun. en.wiktionary.org
The song-section sense is a calque of German Steg. en.wikipedia.org

Meaning 8

An older card game was called biritch, and this game took its name. The name probably came from Russian. It might instead come from the Turkish words bir-üç, which mean "one-three."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Bridge takes its name from the earlier card game biritch. en.wikipedia.org
Turkish bir-üç, meaning one-three, is another proposed source. en.wiktionary.org