: a piece of a substance (such as wood or iron) that tapers to a thin edge and is used for splitting wood and rocks, raising heavy bodies, or for tightening by being driven into something
2
a
: something (such as a policy) causing a breach or separation
b
: something used to initiate an action or development
3
: something wedge-shaped: such as
a
: an array of troops or tanks in the form of a wedge
b
: the wedge-shaped stroke in cuneiform characters
c
: a shoe having a heel extending from the back of the shoe to the front of the shank and a tread formed by an extension of the sole
d
: an iron golf club with a broad low-angled face for maximum loft
Noun
He used a wedge to split the firewood.
A wedge held the door open.
The battalion formed a wedge and marched toward the enemy. Verb
She wedged her foot into the crack.
The dog got wedged between the couch and the end table.
I wedged myself into the car's back seat.
She wedged the door open.
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Noun
Key menu items include popovers made with tallow and baked as they are ordered, chicken liver mousse, French onion soup, and a classic wedge salad with Maytag blue cheese and Nueske’s bacon.—Susan Stapleton, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025 The four-time major champion, playing in his first PGA Tour event of the year, took a wedge and drilled his shot 119 yards directly into the hole without bouncing, before celebrating with his caddie and playing partners, including Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Åberg.—Jamie Barton, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
District officials in Boundary County, wedged along the Canadian border with a population of just over 13,000, were grateful to receive about $5 million from the new funding bill.—Becca Savransky, ProPublica, 11 Feb. 2025 During drive-by shootings, neighbors wedge themselves between sofas.—Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for wedge
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English wegge, from Old English wecg; akin to Old High German wecki wedge, Lithuanian vagis
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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