ledge

noun

1
: a raised or projecting edge or molding intended to protect or check
a window ledge
2
: an underwater ridge or reef especially near the shore
3
a
: a narrow flat surface or shelf
especially : one that projects from a wall of rock
We rappelled down the cliff and reached the ledge.
b
: rock that is solid or continuous enough to form ledges : bedrock
the field was full of ledge
4
: lode, vein
ledgy adjective

Examples of ledge in a Sentence

birds perched on the ledge of a building a ledge on the side of the mountain
Recent Examples on the Web Rescuers used the rope system to bring the hiker down the side of a rocky ledge. Jacob Factor, The Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2024 Four rescuers who climbed to a ledge above the man directed him to a ramp under a steep face. Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2024 Traveling by canoe, adventurers will see 10 ledges that historians have determined were staging areas for Mayan rituals, including fertility rites and human sacrifice. Kaye Toal, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2024 The robot vacuum cleverly creates a map of your home to navigate it with ease, avoiding obstacles like furniture and ledges in the process. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 In the video, one tagger can be seen hugging a vertical post at least a dozen stories above the ground, their back turned toward the LA Live entertainment center across Figueroa Street, then shuffling gingerly across a shallow ledge to reach their canvas. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024 However, another site caught her eye during her visit: rows of shallow pits carved into a nearby rock ledge. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Oribe was co-founded by celebrity stylist Oribe Canales in 2008 with the goal of concocting products that belong everywhere from the shelves of luxury salons to the ledge of your shower. Annie Blackman, Allure, 3 Feb. 2024 Features: Options include sun decks, tanning ledges, waterfalls, bubblers, fountains, water arcs and zero-entry. Angie Hicks, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ledge.' 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

Middle English legge bar of a gate

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ledge was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near ledge

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

ledge

noun
1
: a projecting ridge or raised edge along a surface
2
: an underwater ridge or reef especially near the shore
3
: a narrow flat surface or shelf
especially : one that sticks out from a wall of rock

More from Merriam-Webster on ledge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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