: 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
Cut beets into bite-size wedges; place in a medium bowl.—Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026 Many citrus fruits are great for eating out of hand in sections or slices, and nothing beats a glass of fresh orange or grapefruit juice, or a wedge of lemon or lime in a cocktail.—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
The liveliest glimpses of life seemed wedged between the old, unreconstructed city and the shinier, up-and-coming version.—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026 As Sundance became a global icon, part of its identity stemmed from wedging this gorilla of a festival into the birdcage of a tiny resort town.—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 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