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 something
2 a : something (as a policy) causing a breach or separation b : something used to initiate an action or development
3 : 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]