: 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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Just swap your sneakers for wedges and your fanny pack for a glittery clutch to take this dress from day to night.—Neha Tandon, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2024 Follow that up with a moisturizer and your feet are ready for flip-flops, slides, and wedges galore.—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 16 July 2024
Verb
By Naomi Huffman On a Sunday afternoon in May, the Elizabeth Street Garden, a serene public park wedged between Manhattan’s SoHo and Little Italy neighborhoods, was filled with people undeterred by the gray sky and spitting rain.—Naomi Huffman, The Atlantic, 10 July 2024 Stripped down to its original state, the wall was then restored using traditional methods, with small stones wedged between larger ones and the joints repaired with a mixture of lime and clay that would have been used in the past.—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 8 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for wedge
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wedge.' 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
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
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