Liliputin-4794

Nothing gives your arguments more edge than a guillotine ... "
Maximillian Robespierre

Liliputins. What, the heck, is this?
http://stihi.ru/2021/11/24/7101
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give (one) an/the edge on (someone or something) (redirected from give an edge on)
give (one) an/the edge on (someone or something)
To cause someone to be in a favorable or superior position when compared to someone or something else.
That team has so many injuries right now that it's given us the edge on them.
I don't want to do anything that might give Sarah an edge on me in this competition.
See also: an, edge, give, on
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

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edge
1 of 2
noun

plural edges
Synonyms of edge
1 a : the cutting side of a blade
a razor's edge
b : the sharpness of a blade
a knife with no edge
c (1): FORCE, EFFECTIVENESS
blunted the edge of the legislation
(2) : vigor or energy especially of body
maintains his hard edge
d (1): incisive or penetrating quality
writing with a satirical edge
(2) : a noticeably harsh or sharp quality
her voice had an edge to it
(3): a secondary but distinct quality
rock music with a bluesy edge
e : keenness or intensity of desire or enjoyment
lost my competitive edge
2 a : the line where an object or area begins or ends :
BORDER
on the edge of a plain
b : the narrow part adjacent to a border
the edge of the deck
c (1): a point near the beginning or the end
especially : BRINK, VERGE

on the edge of disaster
(2): the threshold of danger or ruin
living on the edge
d : a favorable margin : ADVANTAGE
has an edge on the competition
3 : a line or line segment that is the intersection of two plane faces (as of a pyramid) or of two planes
4 edges : short fine hair that grows along a person's hairline :
BABY HAIR
With carefully finessed edges in delicate swoop and wave designs, hairstyles as simple as a high ponytail or sleek bob can quickly be transformed into a work of art …
—Devon Abelman
—usually singular when used before another noun
edge styling
edgeless adjective
edge

2 of 2
verb
edged; edging
transitive verb

1 a : to give an edge to
b : to be on an edge of
trees edging the lake
2 : to move or force gradually
edged him off the road
3 : to incline (a ski) sideways so that one edge cuts into the snow
4 : to defeat by a small margin —often used with out
edged out her opponent

intransitive verb

: to advance by short moves
Phrases
on edge
: ANXIOUS, NERVOUS

Synonyms
Noun

acerbity
acidity
acidness
acridity
acridness
acrimoniousness
acrimony
acuteness
asperity
bite
bitterness
harshness
keenness
poignance
poignancy
pungency
roughness
sharpness
tartness
Verb

grind
hone
sharpen
stone
strop
whet

Examples of edge in a Sentence
Noun
They peered over the edge of the roof.
The fabric was frayed at the edge.
He made us all nervous by standing so close to the edge of the cliff.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And the soft landing comes with additional hard edges.
—Christelle Rohaut, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2023
Penn hopes his intriguing experiences as an actor and an advocate give him an edge as the Paramount Global network tries to find a path forward for the venerable series.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Dec. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'edge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History
Etymology
Noun

Middle English egge, going back to Old English ecg "cutting side of a blade, border," going back to Germanic *agj; "cutting side of a blade" (whence also Old Frisian eg "cutting side of a blade, sword," Old Saxon eggia, Old High German egga, ekka "cutting side of a blade, border, point, corner," Old Norse egg "cutting side of a blade"), feminine noun derivative from Indo-European *h2ek;- "sharp, pointed," whence also Latin aci;s "sharp part of a weapon"

NOTE: The base *h2ek;- "sharp, pointed" was productive of a large number of suffixed derivatives in the Indo-European daughter languages. Latin had a verbal base deriving from h2ek;-eh1- "to be sharp" (see ACETIC ACID, ACID entry 2) and a presumed adjectival stem *ac;- "sharp" (see ACUTE). An apparently isolated derivative is Greek akm;; "highest point" (see ACME). For the derivative *h2ek;-r-/h2ok;-r-, with outcomes in Greek, Latin, and other languages, see ACRO-, MEDIOCRE. See also AWN, EAR entry 2.

Verb

Middle English eggen "to set (the teeth) on edge," derivative of egge EDGE entry 1

First Known Use
Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of edge was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing edge
deckle edge
edge effect
edge out
edge-grain
close to the edge
cutting edge
edge in
live (life) on the edge
edge tool
See More

Dictionary Entries Near edge
Edgar

edge

edgebone


Cite this Entry
Style

MLA
“Edge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edge. Accessed 28 Dec. 2023.

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Kids Definition
edge

1 of 2
noun
;ej
1
a
: the cutting side of a blade
a knife's edge
b
: the sharpness of a blade
a razor with no edge
c
: a harsh or sharp quality
his voice had a sarcastic edge
2
a
: the line where an object or surface begins or ends
also : the narrow part next to it
the edge of the deck
b
: the line where two plane faces of a solid meet
an edge of the cube
3
: ADVANTAGE sense 3
our experience gave us an edge
edged
adjective
edge

2 of 2
verb
edged; edging
1
: to give an edge to
edge a sleeve with lace
2
: to advance slowly or by short moves
edged my chair closer


More from Merriam-Webster on edge
Nglish: Translation of edge for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of edge for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: 23 Dec 2023 - Updated example sentences
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