wedge

1 of 2

noun

1
: a piece of a substance (such as wood or iron) that tapers to a thin edge and is used for splitting wood and rocks, raising heavy bodies, or for tightening by being driven into something
2
a
: something (such as a policy) causing a breach or separation
b
: something used to initiate an action or development
3
: something wedge-shaped: such as
a
: an array of troops or tanks in the form of a wedge
b
: the wedge-shaped stroke in cuneiform characters
c
: a shoe having a heel extending from the back of the shoe to the front of the shank and a tread formed by an extension of the sole
d
: an iron golf club with a broad low-angled face for maximum loft
4
: a golf shot made with a wedge

called also wedge shot

Illustration of wedge

Illustration of wedge
  • W wedge 1

wedge

2 of 2

verb

wedged; wedging

transitive verb

1
: to fasten or tighten by driving in a wedge
2
a
: to force or press (something) into a narrow space : cram
b
: to force (one's way) into or through
3
: to separate or force apart with or as if with a wedge

Examples of wedge in a Sentence

Noun He used a wedge to split the firewood. A wedge held the door open. The battalion formed a wedge and marched toward the enemy. Verb She wedged her foot into the crack. The dog got wedged between the couch and the end table. I wedged myself into the car's back seat. She wedged the door open.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Analyzing 1,000 rumors collected during the summer of 1942, the researchers reported that 65.9 percent fell into the wedge category, 25.4 percent into the fear category and just 2 percent into the wish category. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 In the start of the video, the Taste the Nation star showed a simple wedge salad recipe topped with lots of herbs. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Not a bad showing for what might be one of only two bars in San Leandro flying the tricolor – just make sure to get a citrus wedge in your drink, to prevent scurvy. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Refrigerate the onions and lime wedges until ready to serve (up to 1 day). Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 This wintry wedge combines buttermilk, lemon juice, and black pepper for a bright dressing, topped with pomegranate seeds and fresh chives. Sunset Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 Dinner includes fish, coleslaw, fries, rye roll, tartar sauce, lemon wedge and coffee. Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2024 Aliso Viejo is a leafy green wedge of the suburban sprawl that makes up southern California’s mythic Orange County. Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2024 Other companies have been making pickup trucks for well more than a century and there are reasons they’re not usually shaped like wedges. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
He was thrown through a window as the room collapsed; his body was found wedged beneath a mobile home 50 yards downstream. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 It is wedged on 42 acres of land between U.S. Highway 287, Interstate 35W and Interstate 30 on the east edge of downtown. Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2024 The cooktop was wedged into a tight space surrounded by most of the appliances, little counter space, and was completely opposite the sink, all of which made food prep and cooking less efficient and less comfortable. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Deputy moved dead biker off baby; mother and kids survive Musgrove had to move the deceased motorist, who was wedged in the rear window of the driver's side, to locate the unconscious baby, officials said. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Stella has her own invisible disability to accommodate—a crippling fatigue that has been her shadow for years, wedging itself between her wants and her cans. Kristina Kasparian, Longreads, 6 Feb. 2024 The driver of the motorcycle was found dead at the scene, their body wedged into the rear window of the driver’s side of the vehicle, according to the release. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 19 Feb. 2024 Made of clay, it was wedged above a human skull and surrounded by fragments of a striated wig. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Upon arriving at the scene, the technicians found a 49-lb. pooch wedged in the engine of a '67 Chevy Nova. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wedge.' 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 wegge, from Old English wecg; akin to Old High German wecki wedge, Lithuanian vagis

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wedge was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wedge

Cite this Entry

“Wedge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wedge. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wedge

1 of 2 noun
1
: a piece of wood or metal with a pointed edge used especially to split wood or rocks and to lift heavy weights
2
: something (as a piece of pie or land) shaped like a triangle
3
a
: something (as a policy or action) that causes a separation or break
the decision drove a wedge between them
b
: something that serves to open the way for an action or development

wedge

2 of 2 verb
wedged; wedging
1
: to fasten or tighten by or as if by driving in a wedge
2
a
: to press or force into a narrow space
wedged a stick into the crack
b
: to force (one's way) into or through
wedged his way into the crowd
3
: to separate or force apart with or as if with a wedge

More from Merriam-Webster on wedge

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