"causeway over a ravine or river," Old English brycge, from Proto-Germanic *brugjo (cf. Old Saxon bruggia, Old Norse bryggja, Old Frisian brigge, Dutch brug, Old High German brucca, German Brücke), from PIE root *bhru "log, beam," hence "wooden causeway" (cf. Gaulish briva "bridge," Old Church Slavonic bruvuno "beam," Serbian brv "footbridge"). For vowel evolution, see bury. Meaning "bony upper part of the nose" is from early 15c.; of stringed instruments from late 14c.
card game, 1886 (perhaps as early as 1843), an alteration of biritch, but the source and meaning of that are obscure. "Probably of Levantine origin, since some form of the game appears to have been long known in the Near East" [OED]. One guess is that it represents Turkish *bir-üç "one-three," because one hand is exposed and three are concealed. The game also was known early as Russian whist (attested in English from 1839).
Old English brycgian "to bridge, make a causeway," from bridge (n.). Related: Bridged; bridging.
bridge (brĭj)
n.
An anatomical structure resembling a bridge or span.
The upper part of the ridge of the nose formed by the nasal bones.
A fixed or removable replacement for one or several but not all of the natural teeth, usually anchored at each end to a natural tooth.
One of the threads of protoplasm that appears to pass from one cell to another.