bridge

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbrij 

1

a

: a structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression or obstacle (such as a river)

a bridge connecting the island to the mainland

b

: a time, place, or means of connection or transition

building a bridge between the two cultures

the bridge from war to peace

2

: something resembling a bridge in form or function: such as

a

: the upper bony part of the nose

broke the bridge of his nose

also : the part of a pair of glasses that rests upon it

b

music : a piece raising the strings of a musical instrument see violin illustration

c

nautical : the forward part of a ship's superstructure (see superstructure sense 2b) from which the ship is navigated

d

railroads : gantry sense 2b

e

billiards : the hand as a rest for a cue

also : a device used as a cue rest

3

a

music : a passage linking two sections of a composition

b

dentistry : a partial denture anchored to adjacent teeth

c

chemistry : a connection (such as an atom or group of atoms) that joins two different parts of a molecule (such as opposite sides of a ring)

4

physics : an electrical instrument or network for measuring or comparing resistances (see resistance entry 1 sense 4a), inductances, capacitances, or impedances by comparing the ratio of two opposing voltages to a known ratio

bridgeless

ˈbrij-ləs 

adjective

Illustration of bridge

• 1 beam
• 2 truss
• 3 arch
• 4 suspension
• 5 cable-stayed

bridge

2 of 3

verb

bridged; bridging

transitive verb

1

: to make a bridge (see bridge entry 1) over or across

bridging a river

bridge the divisions between the two groups

bridge the generation gap

also : to join by a bridge

2

: to provide with a bridge

small bridged streams

bridgeable

ˈbri-jə-bəl 

adjective

bridge

3 of 3

noun (2)

card games : any of various card games for usually four players in two partnerships that bid for the right to declare a trump suit, seek to win tricks (see trick entry 1 sense 4) equal to the final bid, and play with the hand of declarer 's partner exposed and played by declarer

especially : contract bridge

Examples of bridge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The disaster in Baltimore, and a spate of recent incidents involving barges and bridges has highlighted the vulnerability of bridges to strikes. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 15 May 2024

Founded in 2003, the conservancy is a nonprofit that has received hundreds of millions of dollars from government, private, and philanthropic sources for the development of 5.5 miles of riverfront between the Ambassador and Belle Isle bridges. —Violet Ikonomova, Detroit Free Press, 14 May 2024

Precision cuts using small charges were made along pieces of the bridge's span that had been lying on top of the Dali's bow since the massive ship lost power and collided with one of the bridge’s support columns on March 26, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Baltimore District. —Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 14 May 2024

Crews are placing the High Line Canal Trail bridge crossing as part of a road-widening and trail-expansion project. —Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024

Six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time were killed in the incident. —Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 12 May 2024

The Disneyland expansion across Disneyland Drive would likely extend across a pedestrian bridge that connects at the dead end of Critter Country. —Brady MacDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024

The men’s jewelry renaissance may be well under way, but for most who are not walking a runway or red carpet, sporting a pearl necklace or full hand of bling may still be a bridge too far. —Shannon Adducci, Robb Report, 10 May 2024

Gonzalez, 49, was one of six construction workers missing and presumed dead in the March 26 bridge collapse. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024

Verb

The British government has given Birmingham two years to get its accounts back in order and bridge the nearly £300 million deficit. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 3 May 2024

By bridging disparate platforms, systems, and applications, APIs have enabled a high degree of automation, such that data is now increasingly being used to its fullest potential. —François Candelon, Fortune, 3 May 2024

This role offers a unique opportunity to bridge martial arts' historical and contemporary worlds. —Kansas City Star, 3 May 2024

However, note infants do not typically need a multivitamin, so this is best suited to toddlers with picky eating habits who may need extra iron and other nutrients to bridge dietary gaps. —Dahlia Rimmon, Parents, 1 May 2024

If there are glimmers of how trust gaps might be bridged, stark divides remain. —Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Apr. 2024

In a landscape where innovation knows no boundaries, venture capital firm Zero Knowledge Ventures bridges borders for global entrepreneurs aiming to conquer the US market. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

Today, Magic Kingdom Park bridges the old with the new, inviting guests to relive the tales of childhood and enjoy beloved attractions, like Pirates of the Caribbean. —Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024

And now the generative-AI boom, despite promises to bridge languages and cultures, may only further entrench the dominance of English in life on and off the web. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English brigge, from Old English brycg; akin to Old High German brucka bridge, Old Church Slavonic brŭvŭno beam

Verb

Middle English briggen, going back to Old English brycgian, noun derivative of brycg bridge entry 1

Noun (2)

alteration of earlier biritch, of unknown origin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Verb

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

Noun (2)

1886, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bridge

• auction bridge
• bridge loan
• bridge the gap
• build a bridge
• cantilever bridge
• contract bridge
• covered bridge
• cross that bridge when one comes to it
• duplicate bridge
• flying bridge
• natural bridge
• pontoon bridge
• railroad bridge
• rubber bridge
• suspension bridge
• swing bridge
• truss bridge
• water under the bridge
• Wheatstone bridge

Kids Definition

bridge

1 of 3 noun

ˈbrij 

1

: a structure built over something (as a river or a railroad) so people can cross

2

: a platform above and across the deck of a ship for the captain or officer in charge

3

a

: something resembling a bridge (as the upper part of the nose)

b

: music that connects the sections of a song or composition

4

: a curved piece that raises the strings of a musical instrument

5

: an artificial replacement for one or more teeth that is fastened to the remaining nearby teeth

bridge

2 of 3 verb

bridged; bridging

: to make a bridge over or across

bridge a gap

bridgeable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

bridge

3 of 3 noun

: a card game for four players in two teams

Etymology

Noun

Old English brycg "bridge"

Noun

origin unknown

Medical Definition

bridge

noun

ˈbrij 

1

a

: the upper bony part of the nose

b

: the curved part of a pair of glasses that rests upon this part of the nose

2

a

: pons

b

: a strand of protoplasm extending between two cells

c

: a partial denture held in place by anchorage to adjacent teeth

d

: a connection (as an atom or group of atoms) that joins two different parts of a molecule (as opposite sides of a ring)

e

: an area of physical continuity between two chromatids persisting during the later phases of mitosis and constituting a possible source of somatic genetic change