# edge

Pronunciation: say "EJ" /ɛd͡ʒ/

## Noun

1. The outside limit or border of an object, surface, or area; the line or brink where it ends, as at the top of a cliff.
   - Simple: The outer end or side of something, where it stops, like the edge of a table or a cliff.
   - _The cat has scratched the edge of the rug until it's badly frayed._
   - _The photo was cropped right up to the edges of the frame._
2. The boundary of something or the area immediately beside it, or the beginning or early portion of a period of time.
   - Simple: The part right next to a dividing line, or the start of a period of time.
   - _On the edge of dawn, the birds began to sing._
   - _The shop stood at the edge of the old district._
3. An advantage, especially a slight one held over a competitor.
   - Simple: A small advantage over someone else.
   - _The startup's new technology gave it an edge in a crowded market._
   - _Experience gave the veteran climber an edge on the difficult route._
4. The thin cutting side of a blade, as on an ax, knife, sword, or scythe; by extension, anything that cuts or wounds deeply.
   - Simple: The thin, sharp side of a blade that cuts.
   - _The sword's edge had been honed to a deadly sharpness._
   - _She tested the edge of the ax against her thumbnail._
7. The line where two faces of a solid shape meet, or a side of a polygon, which joins two neighboring corners.
   - Simple: A straight line where two flat sides of a shape meet.
   - _A tetrahedron has six edges connecting its four vertices._
   - _Every edge of the polygon joins two adjacent corners._
8. Sharpness or keenness; the readiness or fitness to cut; also an intense, eager desire.
   - Simple: The sharpness of a blade, or a strong, keen feeling.
   - _The chisel kept its edge even after heavy use._
   - _Her ambition had a fierce edge that drove her forward._
10. The point where data is produced within an organization, near its source, rather than in the cloud.
   - Simple: The place where data is made, near the device, not in a faraway cloud.
   - _Processing sensor data at the edge reduces the load on central servers._
   - _Smart cameras now run their analysis at the edge instead of uploading every frame._
11. A connection between two vertices in a graph.
   - Simple: A line that joins two points in a network or diagram.
   - _A path is a sequence of edges connecting one vertex to another._
   - _Adding an edge between two nodes creates a new connection in the graph._
16. A shot in which the ball glances off the side of the bat, often by accident.
   - Simple: A hit where the ball clips the side of the bat by accident.
   - _The batsman's edge carried to the slips and he was caught._
   - _A faint edge off the fast bowler was snapped up behind the stumps._

## Verb

5. To beat an opponent or rival by a narrow margin.
   - Simple: To win something by just a little.
   - _The challenger edged the champion in a thrilling finish._
   - _They edge their opponents whenever the game comes down to the wire._
6. To move, or move something, slowly and carefully in a particular direction.
   - Simple: To move slowly and carefully, or to move something this way.
   - _The climbers edged along the narrow ledge one at a time._
   - _I edge forward in the line, inch by inch, as the doors open._
9. To form or provide a border along the edge of something.
   - Simple: To be or put a border along the side of something.
   - _Tailors edge the collar with a thin strip of leather._
   - _He edged the path with bricks to keep the gravel in place._
12. To trim the grass margin of a lawn where it meets the sidewalk, usually with a powered lawn edger.
   - Simple: To cut the grass neatly along the line where a lawn meets a path.
   - _Landscapers edge the front lawn every week during summer._
   - _She edged the yard carefully where it met the concrete walk._
13. To give a tool or weapon a sharp cutting edge; to sharpen.
   - Simple: To make the blade of a tool or weapon sharp.
   - _Skilled cutlers edge each chisel before it leaves the workshop._
   - _She edged the scythe with a whetstone until it gleamed._
14. To irritate or frustrate someone through repeated delays. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To annoy someone by making them wait again and again.
   - _The band has been edging fans for months with hints about a new album._
   - _Shows like this edge viewers every week by saving the big reveal for later._
15. To deliberately stay, or keep someone, very close to orgasm for an extended period without going over. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To keep yourself or someone else just short of the peak for a long time on purpose.
   - _They edge together, drawing things out as long as possible._
   - _She edged him repeatedly, stopping each time he got close._
17. To strike the ball with the side of the bat, producing a fine deflection.
   - Simple: To clip the ball with the side of the bat, sending it off at a slight angle.
   - _Nervous batsmen often edge the ball when facing swing bowling._
   - _She edged a quick delivery toward the slip cordon._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To make keener or sharper, or to provoke, irritate, or spur someone on.
- (noun) A level of sexual arousal kept just short of the point of climax.

## Origin

This word comes from Middle English "egge" and Old English "eċġ," going back through Proto-Germanic "*agjō" to a Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂eḱ-" meaning "sharp." It is related to Dutch "egge," German "Ecke," and Latin "aciēs" ("edge").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/edge (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).