Word Study
verge
CIDE DICTIONARY
verge, n. [F. verge, L. virga; perhaps akin to E. wisp.].
- A rod or staff, carried as an emblem of authority; as, the verge, carried before a dean. [1913 Webster]
- The stick or wand with which persons were formerly admitted tenants, they holding it in the hand, and swearing fealty to the lord. Such tenants were called tenants by the verge. [1913 Webster]
- The compass of the court of Marshalsea and the Palace court, within which the lord steward and the marshal of the king's household had special jurisdiction; -- so called from the verge, or staff, which the marshal bore. [1913 Webster]
- A virgate; a yardland. [1913 Webster]
- A border, limit, or boundary of a space; an edge, margin, or brink of something definite in extent. [1913 Webster]"Even though we go to the extreme verge of possibility to invent a supposition favorable to it, the theory . . . implies an absurdity." [1913 Webster]"But on the horizon's verge descried,
Hangs, touched with light, one snowy sail." [1913 Webster] - A circumference; a circle; a ring. [1913 Webster]"The inclusive verge
Of golden metal that must round my brow." [1913 Webster] - The shaft of a column, or a small ornamental shaft. Encyc. Brit. [1913 Webster]
- The spindle of a watch balance, especially one with pallets, as in the old vertical escapement. See under Escapement. [1913 Webster]
- The edge or outside of a bed or border. [1913 Webster]
- The penis. [1913 Webster]
- The external male organ of certain mollusks, worms, etc. See Illustration in Appendix. [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Border; edge; rim; brim; margin; brink.
verge, v. i. [L. vergere to bend, turn, incline; cf. Skr. v to turn.].
- To border upon; to tend; to incline; to come near; to approach. [1913 Webster]
- To tend downward; to bend; to slope; as, a hill verges to the north. [1913 Webster]"Our soul, from original instinct, vergeth towards him as its center." [1913 Webster]"I find myself verging to that period of life which is to be labor and sorrow." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
verge, n.
1 an edge or border.
2 an extreme limit beyond which something happens (on the verge of tears).
3 Brit. a grass edging of a road, flower-bed, etc.
4 Archit. an edge of tiles projecting over a gable.
5 a wand or rod carried before a bishop, dean, etc., as an emblem of office.
1 an edge or border.
2 an extreme limit beyond which something happens (on the verge of tears).
3 Brit. a grass edging of a road, flower-bed, etc.
4 Archit. an edge of tiles projecting over a gable.
5 a wand or rod carried before a bishop, dean, etc., as an emblem of office.
verge, v.intr.
1 incline downwards or in a specified direction (the now verging sun; verge to a close).
2 (foll. by on) border on; approach closely (verging on the ridiculous).
1 incline downwards or in a specified direction (the now verging sun; verge to a close).
2 (foll. by on) border on; approach closely (verging on the ridiculous).
Etymology
L vergere bend, incline
THESAURUS
verge
about to, abut, abut on, adjoin, aim, approach, armory, badge, badge of office, badges, bank, baton, be contiguous, be in contact, bear, befringe, bend to, bias, bind, blazonry, board, border, border line, border on, bordure, bound, boundaries, boundary, bounds, bourns, brassard, brim, brink, brow, butt, button, cap and gown, chain, chain of office, circumference, circumscription, class ring, coast, cockade, collar, communicate, compass, conduce, confines, conjoin, connect, contribute, coordinates, cross, decoration, dispose, draw, dress, eagle, edge, edges, emblems, enframe, ensigns, extend, fasces, featheredge, figurehead, flange, fleur-de-lis, frame, fringe, fringes, go, hammer and sickle, have a tendency, head, hem, heraldry, hold a heading, incline, insignia, join, labellum, labium, labrum, lap, lapel pin, lead, lean, ledge, lie by, limb, limbus, limitations, limits, line, lip, list, livery, look to, mace, mantle, march, marches, marge, margin, medal, metes, metes and bounds, mortarboard, move, neighbor, old school tie, outline, outlines, outskirts, pale, parameters, perimeter, periphery, pin, point, point to, purfle, purl, ragged edge, ready to, redound to, regalia, rim, ring, rose, school ring, selvage, serve, set, set off, set toward, shamrock, shore, show a tendency, side, sideline, sigillography, skirt, skirts, skull and crossbones, sphragistics, staff, stand by, steer, stretch, surround, swastika, tartan, tend, tend to, tend to go, thistle, threshold, tie, touch, trench, trend, trim, turn, uniform, verge on, verge upon, verges, wand, warp, work towardROGET THESAURUS
verge
End
N end, close, termination, desinence, conclusion, finis, finale, period, term, terminus, endpoint, last, omega, extreme, extremity, gable end, butt end, fag-end, tip, nib, point, tail, verge, tag, peroration, bonne bouche, bottom dollar, tail end, rear guard, consummation, denouement, finish, fate, doom, doomsday, crack of doom, day of Judgment, dies irae, fall of the curtain, goal, destination, limit, determination, expiration, expiry, extinction, extermination, death, end of all things, finality, eschatology, break up, commencement de la fin, last stage, turning point, coup de grace, deathblow, knock-out-blow, sockdolager, ending, final, terminal, definitive, crowning, last, ultimate, hindermost, rear, caudal, vergent, conterminate, conterminous, conterminable, ended, at an end, settled, decided, over, played out, set at rest, conclusive, penultimate, last but one, last but two, unbegun, uncommenced, fresh, finally, in fine, at the last, once for all, as high as Heaven and as deep as hell, deficit omne quod nascitur, en toute chose il faut considerer la fin, finem respice, ultimus Romanorum.Tendency
VB tend, contribute, conduce, lead, dispose, incline, verge, bend to, trend, affect, carry, redound to, bid fair to, gravitate towards, promote.Edge
N edge, verge, brink, brow, brim, margin, border, confine, skirt, rim, flange, side, mouth, jaws, chops, chaps, fauces, lip, muzzle, threshold, door, porch, portal, coast, shore, frame, fringe, flounce, frill, list, trimming, edging, skirting, hem, selvedge, welt, furbelow, valance, gimp, border, marginal, skirting, labial, labiated, marginated.Limit
N limit, boundary, bounds, confine, enclave, term, bourn, verge, curbstone, but, pale, reservation, termination, terminus, stint, frontier, precinct, marches, backwoods, boundary line, landmark, line of demarcation, line of circumvallation, pillars of Hercules, Rubicon, turning point, ne plus ultra, sluice, floodgate, definite, conterminate, conterminable, terminal, frontier, bordering, thus far, thus far and no further, stick to the reservation, go beyond the pale, Special.Direction
VB direct, manage, govern, conduct, order, prescribe, cut out work for, bead, lead, lead the way, show the way, take the lead, lead on, regulate, guide, steer, pilot, tackle, take the helm, be at the helm, have the reins, handle the reins, hold the reins, take the reins, drive, tool, superintend, supervise, overlook, control, keep in order, look after, see to, legislate for, administer, ministrate, matronize, have the care of, have the charge of, be in charge of, have charge of, take the direction, boss, boss one around, pull the strings, pull the wires, rule, have the direction, hold office, hold the portfolio, preside, preside at the board, take the chair, occupy the chair, be in the chair, pull the stroke oar, tend towards, bend towards, point towards, conduct to, go to, point to, point at, bend, trend, verge, incline, dip, determine, steer for, steer towards, make for, make towards, aim at, level at, take aim, keep a course, hold a course, be bound for, bend one's steps towards, direct one's course, steer one's course, bend one's course, shape one's course, align one's march, allign one's march, to straight, go straight to the point, march on, march on a point, ascertain one's direction, s'orienter, see which way the wind blows, box the compass, take the air line.For further exploring for "verge" in Webster Dictionary Online
