: 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
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.
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Noun
The relaxed, slightly oversized top can be worn as a top layer or on its own with my new palazzo pants and a pair of slip-on sandals or espadrille wedges.—Melony Forcier, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026 Serve them hot off the skillet with lime wedges for a little extra flavor.—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Verb
His constant companion since Claudine’s death is a small white Havanese dog named Ginger who wedges in next to him on his customary chair in his living room.—Amy Driscoll, Miami Herald, 3 May 2026 Both, however, will require ample time to build back up, a variable that will eventually wedge its way back into Niebla’s three-week planning window.—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wedge
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