the edge, rim, or margin of something: the verge of a desert; to operate on the verge of fraud.
2.
the limit or point beyond which something begins or occurs; brink: on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
3.
a limiting belt, strip, or border of something.
4.
British. a narrow strip of turf bordering on a pathway, sidewalk, roadway, etc.
5.
a decorative border, as on or around an object, structural part, etc.
6.
limited room or scope for something: an action within the verge of one's abilities.
7.
an area or district subject to a particular jurisdiction.
8.
History/Historical. an area or district in England embracing the royal palace, being the jurisdiction of the Marshalsea Court.
9.
the part of a sloping roof that projects beyond the gable wall.
10.
Architecture. the shaft of a column or colonette.
11.
a rod, wand, or staff, esp. one carried as an emblem of authority or of the office of a bishop, dean, or the like.
12.
Horology. a palletlike lever formerly used in inexpensive pendulum clocks.
13.
Obsolete. a stick or wand held in the hand of a person swearing fealty to a feudal lord on being admitted as a tenant.
–verb (used without object)
14.
to be on the edge or margin; border: Our property verges on theirs.
15.
to come close to or be in transition to some state, quality, etc. (usually fol. by on): a statesman who verged on greatness; a situation that verged on disaster.
–verb (used with object)
16.
to serve as the verge or boundary of: a high hedge verging the yard.
[Origin: 1350–1400; late ME: shaft, column, rod (hence boundary or jurisdiction symbolized by a steward's rod), ME: penis < MF: rod < L virga]
The extreme edge or margin; a border. See Synonyms at border.
An enclosing boundary.
The space enclosed by such a boundary.
The point beyond which an action, state, or condition is likely to begin or occur; the brink: on the verge of tears; a nation on the verge of economic prosperity.
Architecture The edge of the tiling that projects over a roof gable.
Chiefly British The shoulder of a road.
A rod, wand, or staff carried as an emblem of authority or office.
Obsolete The rod held by a feudal tenant while swearing fealty to a lord.
The spindle of a balance wheel in a clock or watch, especially such a spindle in a clock with vertical escapement.
The male organ of copulation in certain invertebrates.
intr.v.
verged, verg·ing, verg·es
To approach the nature or condition of something specified; come close. Used with on:a brilliance verging on genius.
To be on the edge or border: Her land verges on the neighboring township.
[Middle English, from Old French, rod, ring, from Latin virga, rod, strip.]
"edge, rim," 1459, from M.Fr. verge "rod or wand of office," hence "scope, territory dominated," from L. virga "shoot, rod stick," of unknown origin. Earliest attested sense in Eng. is now-obsolete meaning "male member, penis" (c.1400). Modern sense is from the notion of within the verge (1509, also as Anglo-Fr. dedeinz la verge), i.e. "subject to the Lord High Steward's authority" (as symbolized by the rod of office), originally a 12-mile radius round the king's court. Sense shifted to "the outermost edge of an expanse or area." Meaning "point at which something happens" (as in on the verge of) is first attested 1602. "A very curious sense development." [Weekley]
"tend, incline," 1610, from L. vergere "to bend, turn, tend toward, incline," from PIE *werg- "to turn," from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). Much influenced by verge (n.) in its verbal form meaning "to be adjacent to" (1787).
Con*verge"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Converged; p. pr. & vb. n. Converging.] [Pref. con- + L. vergere to turn, incline; cf. F. converger. See Verge, v. i.] To tend to one point; to incline and approach nearer together; as, lines converge. The mountains converge into a single ridge. --Jefferson.
Di*verge"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Diverged; p. pr. & vb. n. Diverging.] [L. di- = dis- + vergere to bend, incline. See Verge.]1. To extend from a common point in different directions; to tend from one point and recede from each other; to tend to spread apart; to turn aside or deviate (as from a given direction); -- opposed to converge; as, rays of light diverge as they proceed from the sun. 2. To differ from a typical form; to vary from a normal condition; to dissent from a creed or position generally held or taken.
Verge\, n. [F. verge, L. virga; perhaps akin to E. wisp.]1. A rod or staff, carried as an emblem of authority; as, the verge, carried before a dean. 2. 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. [Eng.] 3. (Eng. Law) 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. 4. A virgate; a yardland. [Obs.] 5. A border, limit, or boundary of a space; an edge, margin, or brink of something definite in extent. Even though we go to the extreme verge of possibility to invent a supposition favorable to it, the theory . . . implies an absurdity. --J. S. Mill. But on the horizon's verge descried, Hangs, touched with light, one snowy sail. --M. Arnold. 6. A circumference; a circle; a ring. The inclusive verge Of golden metal that must round my brow. --Shak. 7. (Arch.) (a) The shaft of a column, or a small ornamental shaft. --Oxf. Gloss. (b) The edge of the tiling projecting over the gable of a roof. --Encyc. Brit. 8. (Horol.) The spindle of a watch balance, especially one with pallets, as in the old vertical escapement. See under Escapement. 9. (Hort.) (a) The edge or outside of a bed or border. (b) A slip of grass adjoining gravel walks, and dividing them from the borders in a parterre. 10. The penis. 11. (Zo["o]l.) The external male organ of certain mollusks, worms, etc. See Illustration in Appendix. Syn: Border; edge; rim; brim; margin; brink.
Verge\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Verged; p. pr. & vb. n. Verging.] [L. vergere to bend, turn, incline; cf. Skr. v?j to turn.]1. To border upon; to tend; to incline; to come near; to approach. 2. To tend downward; to bend; to slope; as, a hill verges to the north. Our soul, from original instinct, vergeth towards him as its center. --Barrow. I find myself verging to that period of life which is to be labor and sorrow. --Swift.
Verge"board`\, n. [Verge + board. Cf. Bargeboard.] (Arch.) The ornament of woodwork upon the gable of a house, used extensively in the 15th century. It was generally suspended from the edge of the projecting roof (see Verge, n., 4), and in position parallel to the gable wall. Called also bargeboard.
Ver"ger\, n. [F. verger, from verge a rod. See 1st Verge.] One who carries a verge, or emblem of office. Specifically: (a) An attendant upon a dignitary, as on a bishop, a dean, a justice, etc. [Eng.] --Strype. (b) The official who takes care of the interior of a church building.
Vir"gate\, a. [L. virgatus made of twigs, fr. virga a twig, rod. See Verge a rod.] (Bot.) Having the form of a straight rod; wand-shaped; straight and slender.
Vir"gule\, n. [F. virgule, fr. L. virgula, dim. of virga. See Verge a rod.] A comma. [R.] In the MSS. of Chaucer, the line is always broken by a c[ae]sura in the middle, which is pointed by a virgule. --Hallam.
Wisp\, n. [OE. wisp, wips; probably akin to D. & G. wisch, Icel. visk, and perhaps to L. virga a twig, rod. Cf. Verge a rod, Whisk, n.]1. A small bundle, as of straw or other like substance. In a small basket, on a wisp of hay. --Dryden. 2. A whisk, or small broom. 3. A Will-o'-the-wisp; an ignis fatuus. The wisp that flickers where no foot can tread. --Tennyson.
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