verge

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: brink, threshold
a country on the verge of destructionArchibald MacLeish
b
: something that borders, limits, or bounds: such as
(1)
: an outer margin of an object or structural part
(2)
: the edge of roof covering (such as tiling) projecting over the gable of a roof
(3)
British : a paved or planted strip of land at the edge of a road : shoulder
2
a(1)
: a rod or staff carried as an emblem of authority or symbol of office
(2)
obsolete : a stick or wand held by a person being admitted to tenancy while he swears fealty
b
: the spindle of a watch balance
especially : a spindle with pallets in an old vertical escapement
c
: the male copulatory organ of any of various invertebrates

verge

2 of 3

verb (1)

verged; verging

intransitive verb

1
: to be contiguous
2
: to be on the verge or border
the line where sentiment verges on mawkishnessThomas Hardy

verge

3 of 3

verb (2)

verged; verging

intransitive verb

1
a
of the sun : to move or tend toward the horizon : sink
b
: to move or extend in some direction or toward some condition
verging to a hasty declineEdward Gibbon
2
: to be in transition or change

Examples of verge in a Sentence

Noun the suspect was on the verge of confessing when the officers realized that he hadn't been read his rights the southern verge of the national park Verb (1) our land verges on a wildlife refuge a comment that verged on an insult
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Some nearby audience members seemed moved to the verge of tears, their hands covering their mouths or heads nodding emphatically. Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024 The way that Eric fumbles his way toward retribution is right on the verge of funny — at one point, he gets run over by a truck — but The Crow can’t bring itself to display a sense of humor. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2024
Verb
Not all of the figures are directly connected to Handel, and at times King’s deep background verges on the tangential. Jan Swafford, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024 When Joker came out in 2019, it was greeted with a firestorm of controversy about its potential to instigate violence that verged on a moral panic. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for verge 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "rod, measuring rod, margin," borrowed from Anglo-French, "rod, area of jurisdiction," going back to Latin virga "shoot, twig, rod, line,"; perhaps, if going back to *wiz-g-, akin to Old Norse visk "wisp" — more at whisk entry 1

Verb (1)

verbal derivative of verge entry 1

Verb (2)

borrowed from Latin vergere "to move downward, slope downward, sink," going back to Indo-European *h2u̯erg- "turn around, turn (to)," whence also, with varying ablaut and suffixation, Greek eérgō, eérgein (Attic eírgein) "to shut in, keep away, hinder" (conflated with outcomes of *u̯erǵ- "shut in"), Sanskrit (Vedic) vṛṇákti "(s/he) turns," and, as a nominal derivative, Hittite ḫurki- "wheel"

Note: This is the etymological solution preferred by Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Auflage, 2001, and M. de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages (Brill, 2008). The laryngeal *h2 is required by the Hittite noun, though the Greek verb then must be explained as the result of vowel assimilation (*au̯erg- to *eu̯erg-). See also wrench entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(1)

Verb (1)

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of verge was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near verge

Cite this Entry

“Verge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verge. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

verge

1 of 2 noun
1
: something that borders, limits, or bounds : edge
walking on the grassy verge at the side of a country road
2
: brink sense 2, threshold
the company was on the verge of bankruptcy

verge

2 of 2 verb
verged; verging
: to come near to being
courage verging on recklessness

Medical Definition

verge

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