margin

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An edge and the area immediately adjacent to it; a border. See Synonyms at border.
2. n. The blank space bordering the written or printed area on a page.
3. n. A limit in a condition or process, beyond or below which something is no longer possible or acceptable: the margin of reality; has crossed the margin of civilized behavior.
4. n. An amount allowed beyond what is needed: a small margin of safety. See Synonyms at room.
5. n. A measure, quantity, or degree of difference: a margin of 500 votes.
6. n. Economics The minimum return that an enterprise may earn and still pay for itself.
7. n. Economics The difference between the cost and the selling price of securities or commodities.
8. n. Economics The difference between the market value of collateral and the face value of a loan.
9. n. An amount in money, or represented by securities, deposited by a customer with a broker as a provision against loss on transactions made on account.
10. n. Botany The border of a leaf.
11. v. To provide with a margin.
12. v. To be a margin to; border.
13. v. To inscribe or enter in the margin of a page.
14. v. Economics To add margin to: margin up a brokerage account.
15. v. Economics To deposit margin for: margin a transaction.
16. v. Economics To buy or hold (securities) by depositing or adding to a margin.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A bordering or bounding space; a border; a space between one edge or line and another, as that along a river between the edge of the water or of its bed and a real or imaginary outer line, or the like, or that between the edges of a leaf or sheet of paper and those of the printing or writing on it. In some plants the leaf (then called marginate) has a distinct margin or border of different formation or coloration from the main body. In the case of a book, margin alone usually means the clear space between the print and the outer edge of the leaf, called distinctively the front margin; the head or top margin is at the top of the page, the tail or bottom margin at the foot, and the back margin on the inner side against the back. Parts of these margins, especially at the sides, may be occupied by marginal notes, remarks, or the like. An opened margin is one where the leaves have been opened or separated, as with a folder, but not trimmed; an uncut margin has not been cut anywhere; a rough-cut margin has only the more protruding ragged edges cut off with scissors; in a cropped margin too much paper has been cut away; in a bled margin part of the print has been cut away.
2. n. Specifically— In an engraving, the paper left blank outside the plate-mark.
3. n. In entomology, properly, the outer part of a surface or distinct portion of the integument, as distinguished from the central part or disk. In this sense margin is not to be confounded with edge, which is used to denote the extreme boundary of a part: but where distinction is unnecessary, the two terms are often used synonymously.
4. n. In conchology, the edge or entire outline of a bivalve shell.
5. n. In botany: The edge. A distinct border, different from the body of the organ, as the membranous expansion surrounding some seeds or seed-vessels; a narrow wing.
6. n. In joinery, the flat part of the stiles and rails of framed work. Doors which are made in two widths or leaves are called double-margined, in consequence of the stiles being repeated in the center; and so are also those doors which are made to imitate two-leafed doors.
7. n. Latitude, scope, or range; freedom from narrow restriction or limitation; room or provision for enlarged or extended action.
8. n. Allowance made, security given, or scope afforded for contingencies, as profit or loss in trade, error of calculation, change of circumstances, diversity of judgment or opinion, etc.
9. n. In speculative dealings on the exchanges: The sum in money, or represented by securities, deposited by a speculator or trader with his broker as a provision against loss on transactions made on account. This margin is usually reckoned at 10 per cent, of the par value of stocks or bonds, and 10 cents per bushel or barrel on grain or oil. If the price rises or falls to a satisfactory extent, a sale or purchase is made, and the gain is the customer's profit, less the broker's charges; if the price falls below or rises above the margin furnished, and the purchase is to be protected in expectation of a future rise or fall, the customer is required to furnish (“put up”) more margin to cover the difference.
10. n. This mutual deposit (usually of 5 per cent.) is made in some bank or trust company agreed upon, and remains subject only to a joint check or draft during the continuance of the contract upon which it has been called.
11. To furnish with a margin; form or constitute a margin to; border.
12. To enter in the margin, as a note in a book.

Wiktionary

1. n. The edge of the paper that remains blank.
2. n. The edge of any flat surface.
3. n. The yield or profit; the selling price minus the cost of production.
4. n. A permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits, as a margin of error.
5. v. To add a margin to.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A border; edge; brink; verge.
2. n. Specifically: The part of a page at the edge left uncovered in writing or printing.
3. n. The difference between the cost and the selling price of an article.
4. n. Something allowed, or reserved, for that which can not be foreseen or known with certainty.
5. n. Collateral security deposited with a broker to secure him from loss on contracts entered into by him on behalf of his principial, as in the speculative buying and selling of stocks, wheat, etc. It is usually less than the full value of the security purchased, in which case it may be qualified by the portion of the full value required to be deposited.
6. v. To furnish with a margin.
7. v. To enter in the margin of a page.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the amount of collateral a customer deposits with a broker when borrowing from the broker to buy securities
2. n. a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits
3. n. (finance) the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold
4. n. the blank space that surrounds the text on a page
5. n. the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary
6. n. an amount beyond the minimum necessary