Main Entry:

¹wedge

Pronunciation:

\ˈwej\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English wegge, from Old English wecg; akin to Old High German wecki wedge, Lithuanian vagis

Date:

before 12th century

1: a piece of a substance (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 something2 a: something (as a policy) causing a breach or separation b: something used to initiate an action or development3: something wedge-shaped: 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

[wedge illustration]