verge1

[vurj] /vɜrdʒ/
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, especially 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), verged, verging.
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 followed by on):
a statesman who verged on greatness; a situation that verged on disaster.
verb (used with object), verged, verging.
16.
to serve as the verge or boundary of:
a high hedge verging the yard.
Origin
1350-1400; late Middle English: shaft, column, rod (hence boundary or jurisdiction symbolized by a steward's rod), Middle English: penis < Middle French: rod < Latin virga
Synonyms
1. brim, lip, brink.

verge2

[vurj] /vɜrdʒ/
verb (used without object), verged, verging.
1.
to incline; tend (usually followed by to or toward):
The economy verges toward inflation.
2.
to slope or sink.
Origin
1600-10; < Latin vergere to turn, bend, be inclined
Examples from the web for verge
  • The researcher, who didn't want to be named in this column, thought he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
  • There are also newer fracking technologies that use no water on the verge of being commercialized.
  • Many say that the culture is dead, or on the verge of dying-along with the cattle-driver culture in general.
  • Hemp could be on the verge of joining the growing number of weeds that could power your car.
  • Three years ago, the city found itself on the verge of bankruptcy.
  • We are on the verge of achieving a complete understanding of ourselves biologically.
  • Shocked and on the verge of tears, she asked me to explain.
  • While those sentiments were oddities in his time, they verge upon being clichés today.
  • One invention appears to be on the verge of paying off.
  • You'll know you have a shot, and finding the best vantage point will verge on being an unconscious process.
British Dictionary definitions for verge

verge1

/vɜːdʒ/
noun
1.
an edge or rim; margin
2.
a limit beyond which something occurs; brink: on the verge of ecstasy
3.
(Brit) a grass border along a road
4.
an enclosing line, belt, or strip
5.
(architect) the edge of the roof tiles projecting over a gable
6.
(architect) the shaft of a classical column
7.
an enclosed space
8.
(horology) the spindle of a balance wheel in a vertical escapement, found only in very early clocks
9.
(English legal history)
  1. the area encompassing the royal court that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Lord High Steward
  2. a rod or wand carried as a symbol of office or emblem of authority, as in the Church
  3. a rod held by a person swearing fealty to his lord on becoming a tenant, esp of copyhold land
verb
10.
(intransitive) foll by on. to be near (to): to verge on chaos
11.
when intr, sometimes foll by on. to serve as the edge of (something): this narrow strip verges the road
Word Origin
C15: from Old French, from Latin virga rod

verge2

/vɜːdʒ/
verb
1.
(intransitive; foll by to or towards) to move or incline in a certain direction
Word Origin
C17: from Latin vergere
Word Origin and History for verge
n.

"edge, rim," mid-15c., from Middle French verge "rod or wand of office," hence "scope, territory dominated," from Latin virga "shoot, rod stick," of unknown origin. Earliest attested sense in English is now-obsolete meaning "male member, penis" (c.1400). Modern sense is from the notion of within the verge (c.1500, also as Anglo-French 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 c.1600. "A very curious sense development." [Weekley]

v.

"tend, incline," c.1600, from Latin vergere "to bend, turn, tend toward, incline," from PIE *werg- "to turn," from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus). Much influenced by verge (n.) in its verbal form meaning "to be adjacent to" (1787). Related: Verged; verging.

verge in Medicine

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

Idioms and Phrases with verge

verge

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