wedge

noun \ ˈwej \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

Definition of wedge

1 : 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

4 : a golf shot made with a wedge — called also wedge shot

See wedge defined for English-language learners

See wedge defined for kids

Examples of wedge in a Sentence

He used a wedge to split the firewood.
A wedge held the door open.
The battalion formed a wedge and marched toward the enemy.

Recent Examples of wedge from the Web

Cut into large squares in the pan, then cut each diagonally into wedges.

— the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Newspaper corrections for May 11, 2018," 11 May 2018
Cut pineapple into 1/4-inch-thick rings; cut each ring into 8 wedges.

— woman's day kitchen, Woman's Day, "Hummingbird Cupcakes," 6 Mar. 2018
The 24-year-old Kim pushed his lead to three shots by hitting a wedge from 111 yards to within 5 feet for birdie on the par-4 13th.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Robert Rock takes two-shot lead at Scottish Open," 14 July 2018
Ladle soup into small bowls and pass lemon wedges for squeezing.

— daniel neman, sacbee, "Artistry, flavor blends are marks of Moroccan," 10 July 2018
Ab-Fab Artichoke Crab Dip Serves 12 ¼ cup light/reduced-fat cream cheese 2 wedges light and creamy swiss cheese One 14-oz.

— lisa lillien, PEOPLE.com, "Hungry Girl Shares Her Recipe for a Creamy Crab and Artichoke Dip," 9 July 2018
Default ingredients include soft potato wedges that absorb the sauce, as well as broccoli, celery, cauliflower, soybean sprouts, and bright red chiles with cilantro and sesame seeds.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "All hail Hunanese dry hot pot at Sizzling Pot King," 5 July 2018
The last time she was spotted in wedges was back in May for the French Open.

— marina liao, Marie Claire, "Pippa Middleton's Wimbledon Dress Is Nice and All, but Have You Seen Her Shoes?," 5 July 2018
Not really sure what happened here as Tiger's wedge lands well short of the green.

— adam woodard, USA TODAY, "Can Tiger Woods make a Sunday push? Follow his final round at the Quicken Loans National," 1 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wedge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of wedge

Origin and Etymology of wedge

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Alphabet Terms

cuneiform, linear, minuscule, pictograph, rune, symbology

wedge

verb

Definition of wedge

wedged; wedging

transitive verb

1 : to fasten or tighten by driving in a wedge

2 a : to force or press (something) into a narrow space : cram

b : to force (one's way) into or through

3 : to separate or force apart with or as if with a wedge

intransitive verb

: to become wedged

See wedge defined for English-language learners

Examples of wedge in a Sentence

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 of wedge from the Web

Sure, a South Philadelphia block with cars wedged bumper-to-bumper — or sometimes, on sidewalks or illegally in the street — may give the impression that parking is hard to come by.

— caitlin mccabe, Philly.com, "Philadelphia has 2,172,896 parking spaces. So how come you're still circling the block?," 12 July 2018
Once inside, visitors to the building will be wedged — geographically, at least — between a historic black church and a daycare center.

— atossa araxia abrahamian, Longreads, "Tax-Free Storage Wars," 29 May 2018
But Bose’s design is deceptively secure, and the just-right rubber wedges that hold the earpieces in place never budged.

— Outside Online, "The Best Portable Audio Gear of 2018," 15 May 2018
School staff locked outside doors and wedged a metal bar in the handles of double doors just inside the main entrance.

— Washington Post, "Police: 2 stabbed at Alaska school during break-in attempt," 14 May 2018
And there are various other fourth-best kludges, ways of wedging a de facto price on carbon into markets.

— david roberts, Vox, "Batteries have a dirty secret," 27 Apr. 2018
Pinkins said Thomas revved his engine and that he was wedged between Thomas' car and a parked car.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Security guards with Overland Park firm murder man in car outside KC bar, police say," 11 July 2018
The majority, like Fisaha, hailed from Eritrea, an isolated, authoritarian state wedged between Sudan and Ethiopia.

— brian goldstone, The New Republic, "Essential reporting, interpretation, and opinion on politics and culture. Don't miss our latest.," 26 June 2018
But China has no interest in seeing the North Korea collapse, viewing the country as a strategic buffer wedged between it and US forces on the Peninsula.

— ben westcott, brad lendon and matt rivers, CNN, "Ending the US-South Korea war games would be a win for Beijing," 13 June 2018

First Known Use of wedge

15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

wedge Synonyms

Synonyms

cram, crowd, crush, jam, ram, sandwich, shoehorn, squeeze, stuff;

Related Words

fill, heap, jam-pack, load, pack;

WEDGE Defined for English Language Learners

wedge

noun

Definition of wedge for English Language Learners

: a piece of wood, metal, etc., with one pointed end and one thicker end that is used to split something, to fit into a space, to separate two things stuck together, etc.
: something that is shaped like a triangle or wedge
: a golf club that is used for hitting short, high shots

wedge

verb

Definition of wedge for English Language Learners

: to force (someone or something) into a very small or narrow space
: to use a wedge or similar object to keep (something, such as a door or window) in an open or closed position