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verge

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verge
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verge

1  [vurj] ,noun, verb, verged, verg⋅ing.
Use verge in a Sentence
–noun
1. 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

Synonyms:
1. brim, lip, brink.
verge
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verge

2  [vurj] ,
–verb (used without object), verged, verg⋅ing.
1. to incline; tend (usually fol. by to or toward): The economy verges toward inflation.
2. to slope or sink.
Origin:
1600–10; < L vergere to turn, bend, be inclined
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To verge
verge 1   (vûrj)   
n.  

  1. The extreme edge or margin; a border. See Synonyms at border.

    1. An enclosing boundary.

    2. The space enclosed by such a boundary.

  3. 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.

  4. Architecture The edge of the tiling that projects over a roof gable.

  5. Chiefly British The shoulder of a road.

  6. A rod, wand, or staff carried as an emblem of authority or office.

  7. Obsolete The rod held by a feudal tenant while swearing fealty to a lord.

  8. The spindle of a balance wheel in a clock or watch, especially such a spindle in a clock with vertical escapement.

  9. The male organ of copulation in certain invertebrates.

intr.v.   verged, verg·ing, verg·es

  1. To approach the nature or condition of something specified; come close. Used with on: a brilliance verging on genius.

  2. 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.]
verge 2   (vûrj)   
intr.v.   verged, verg·ing, verg·es

  1. To slope or incline.

  2. To tend to move in a particular direction: "the Neoclassicism ... away from which they subsequently verged" (Hugh Honour).

  3. To pass or merge gradually: dusk verging into night.


[Latin vergere; see wer-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

verge  (n.)
"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]

verge  (v.)
"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).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: verge
—see ANAL VERGE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

verge (vûrj)
n.
The extreme edge or margin; a border.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

verge

In addition to the idiom beginning with verge, also see on the verge of.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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