edge

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A thin, sharpened side, as of the blade of a cutting instrument.
2. n. The degree of sharpness of a cutting blade.
3. n. A penetrating, incisive quality: "His simplicity sets off the satire, and gives it a finer edge” ( William Hazlitt).
4. n. A slight but noticeable sharpness or harshness: His voice had an edge to it.
5. n. Keenness, as of desire or enjoyment; zest: The brisk walk gave an edge to my appetite.
6. n. The line of intersection of two surfaces: the edge of a brick; the table's rounded edges.
7. n. A rim or brink: the edge of a cliff.
8. n. The point at which something is likely to begin: on the edge of war.
9. n. The area or part away from the middle; an extremity: lifted the carpet's edge.
10. n. A dividing line; a border: a house on the edge of town. See Synonyms at border.
11. n. A margin of superiority; an advantage: a slight edge over the opposition.
12. n. A provocative or discomforting quality, as from audacity or innovativeness: "Over all, the show will have a grittier edge” ( Constance C.R. White).
13. v. To give an edge to (a blade); sharpen.
14. v. To tilt (a ski or both skis) in such a way that an edge or both edges bite into the snow.
15. v. To put a border or edge on: edged the quilt with embroidery.
16. v. To act as or be an edge of: bushes that edged the garden path.
17. v. To advance or push slightly or gradually: The dog edged the ball with its nose.
18. v. To trim or shape the edge of: edge a lawn.
19. v. To surpass or beat by a small margin. Often used with out: The runner edged her opponent out at the last moment.
20. v. To move gradually or hesitantly: The child edged toward the door.
21. idiom. on edge Highly tense or nervous; irritable.
22. idiom. on the edge In a precarious position.
23. idiom. on the edge In a state of keen excitement, as from danger or risk: "the excitement of combat, of living on the edge” ( Nelson DeMille).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The sharp margin or thin bordering or terminal line of a cutting instrument: as, the edge of a razor, knife, sword, ax, or chisel.
2. n. The extreme border or margin of anything; the verge; the brink: as, the edge of a table; the edge of precipice.
3. n. Specifically— In mathematics, a line, straight or curved, along which a surface is broken, so that every section of the surface through that line has a cusp or an abrupt change of direction at the point of intersection with it.
4. n. In zoology, the extreme boundary of a surface, part, or mark, generally distinguished as posterior, anterior, lateral, superior, etc. In entomology it is often distinguished from the margin, which is properly an imaginary space surrounding the disk of any surface, and limited by the edge. The outer edge of the elytron of a beetle may be either the extreme boundary of the elytron, or the lateral boundary of the upper surface, separated from the true boundary by a deflexed margin called the epipleura.
5. n. The border or part adjacent to a line of division; the part nearest some limit; an initial or terminal limit; rim; skirt: as, the edge of the evening; the outer and inner edges of a field; the horizon's edge.
6. n. The side of a hill; a ridge. Halliwell.
7. n. Sharpness; acrimony; cutting or wounding quality.
8. n. Acuteness or sharpness, as of desire or of appetite; keenness; eagerness; fitness for action or operation.
9. n. To make eager or intense; sharpen; stimulat: as, his curiosity or expectation was set on edge.
10. n. Synonyms and Verge, skirt, brim. See rim. Intensity.
11. To sharpen; put an edge upon; impart a cutting quality to.
12. Hence, figuratively, to sharpen; pique.
13. To furnish with an edge, fringe, or border: as, to edge a flower-bed with box.
14. To move by or as if by dragging or hitching along edgewise; impel or push on edge, and hence slowly or with difficulty: as, to edge a barrel or a box across the sidewalk; to edge one's self or one's way through a crowd.
15. To incite; instigate; urge on; egg. See egg.
16. To move sidewise; move gradually, cautiously, or so as not to attract notice: as, edge along this way.
17. n. In poker, same as (and a substitution for) age, 13.

Wiktionary

1. n. The boundary line of a surface.
2. n. 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. n. An advantage (as have the edge on)
4. n. The thin cutting side of the blade of an instrument; as, the edge of an ax, knife, sword, or scythe. Hence, figuratively, that which cuts as an edge does, or wounds deeply, etc.
5. n. Any sharp terminating border; a margin; a brink; extreme verge; as, the edge of a table, a precipice.
6. n. Sharpness; readiness or fitness to cut; keenness; intenseness of desire.
7. n. The border or part adjacent to the line of division; the beginning or early part; as, in the edge of evening. "On the edge of winter." John Milton.
8. n. cricket The edge of a cricket bat.
9. n. graph theory Any of the connected pairs of vertices in a graph.
10. n. In male masturbation, a level of sexual arousal that is maintained just short of reaching the point of inevitability, or climax (edging).
11. v. transitive To move an object slowly and carefully in a particular direction.
12. v. intransitive To move slowly and carefully in a particular direction.
13. v. cricket (transitive) To hit the ball with an edge of the bat, causing a fine deflection.
14. v. transitive To trim the margin of a lawn where the grass meets the sidewalk, usually with an electric or gas-powered lawn edger.
15. v. transitive To furnish with an edge; to construct an edging.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (figuratively), (figuratively) The thin cutting side of the blade of an instrument. that which cuts as an edge does, or wounds deeply, etc.
2. n. Any sharp terminating border; a margin; a brink; extreme verge.
3. n. Sharpness; readiness or fitness to cut; keenness; intenseness of desire.
4. n. The border or part adjacent to the line of division; the beginning or early part.
5. v. To furnish with an edge as a tool or weapon; to sharpen.
6. v. To shape or dress the edge of, as with a tool.
7. v. To furnish with a fringe or border
8. v. obsolete To make sharp or keen, figuratively; to incite; to exasperate; to goad; to urge or egg on.
9. v. To move by little and little or cautiously, as by pressing forward edgewise.
10. v. To move sideways; to move gradually.
11. v. To sail close to the wind.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the attribute of urgency in tone of voice
2. v. lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
3. n. the outside limit of an object or area or surface; a place farthest away from the center of something
4. n. a sharp side formed by the intersection of two surfaces of an object
5. v. provide with a border or edge
6. n. a line determining the limits of an area
7. v. advance slowly, as if by inches
8. v. provide with an edge
9. n. the boundary of a surface
10. n. a slight competitive advantage