From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_081_fedgeedge1 /edʒ/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 outside partEDGE [countable] the part of an object that is furthest from its centre Put the eggs in the centre of the dish, with the vegetables and herbs around the edge.the edge of something the right hand edge of the page Jennifer walked to the edge of the wood. Billy sat on the edge of the bed. He stood at the water’s edge staring across the lake. A leaf was on the ground, curling up at the edges.2 bladeTZ [countable] the thin sharp part of a blade or tool that cuts a knife with a sharp edge3 advantage [singular, uncountable] something that gives you an advantage over others Companies are employing more research teams to get an edge. The next version of the software will have the edge over its competitors.4 → on edge5 voice [singular] a quality in someone’s voice that makes it sound slightly angry or impatient There was an edge of hostility in Jack’s voice. Desperation lent an edge to her voice.6 slope [countable] an area beside a very steep slope She walked almost to the edge of the cliff. 7 → on the edge of something8 quality [singular] a special quality of excitement or danger The school’s campaign has been given an extra edge by being filmed for television.9 → take the edge off something10 → on the edge of your seat11 → be on the edge → cutting edgeCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the part of an object that is furthest from its centreadjectivesthe top edgeI gripped the top edge of the door and pulled myself up.the bottom/lower edgeThe lower edge of the window frame was starting to rot.the front/back edgeI banged my elbow on the front edge of the desk.the inside/inner edgeHe painted carefully around the inner edge of each door.the outside/outer edgeThe airport is located on the outer edge of town.the northern/southern etc edge (=the part of an area that is close to the point where the area ends)There’s a ridge of hills on the northern edge of the county.phrasesthe edge of the sea (=the land next to the sea)The castle stands on the edge of the sea.the river’s/water’s edge (=the land next to a river etc)We sat down at the water’s edge. THESAURUSedge the part of something that is furthest from its centre or nearest the place where it endsHe got up quickly, knocking his plate off the edge of the table.the outer edge of the villageside the part of something that is near its left or right edgeOn the left side of the garden there was an old stone wall.They parked by the side of the road.rim the edge of something circular, especially the top of a cup or glass, or the outside edge of a pair of glassesa white cup with a gold rimShe was looking at me over the rim of her spectacles.margin the empty space at the side of a page that has writing on itMy teacher had marked my essay and made some comments in the margin.Leave wide margins on both sides of the page.hem the edge of a piece of cloth that is turned under and stitched down, especially the lower edge of a skirt, trousers etcIf you want the dress a bit shorter, I can easily turn up the hem.kerb British English, curb American English the edge of the pavement (=raised path) at the side of a roadA big black car was parked at the kerb.outskirts the areas of a city that are furthest away from the centreThe new station was built on the outskirts of the city.perimeter the outside edge around an enclosed area of land such as a military camp or a prisonSecurity guards patrol the perimeter night and day. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: something that gives you an advantage over othersverbshave the edge over somebody/something (=to be slightly better than someone or something else)We believe our products have the edge over the competition.get/gain an edge over somebody/something (=gain a small advantage over someone or something else)A well trained workforce is a key factor in gaining a competitive edge over our rivals.give somebody the edge (=give someone a small advantage)I hope my qualifications and experience will give me the edge.lose your edge (=lose an advantage that you had)He’s had a lot of injuries and lost a lot of his competitive edge.adjectivesa slight edge (also a bit of an edge) (=a small advantage)Running on the inside lane will give him a slight edge.a distinct edge (=a definite or noticeable advantage)Being tall gives you a distinct edge in some sports.a competitive edge (=something that makes a person or business able to compete successfully against other people or businesses)He believes investment in new technology is the only way for the company to maintain its competitive edge.
Examples from the Corpus
edge• There was a strong sweet earthy smell from the slopes of soil around its edges.• A group of children were playing at the water's edge.• You'll need a knife with a very sharp edge.• The plates have blue lines around the edges.• Not only did I have loops at the edge, but seven or eight stitches actually leapt off the needles.• We camped right at the edge of the desert.• There's an enormous oak tree at the edge of the garden.• Keep away from the edge of the cliff - you might fall.• Don't measure the edge of your knitting as this is inaccurate.• Gretel lives in a simple cottage on the edge of the forest.• He set the ashtray down on the edge of the table.• My uncle's house is on the edge of town near the freeway.• You know, I wonder, could we, could I try to sand out the edges here?• Then she pulled the old one out and threw it away, over the edge of the roof.• She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and went over to the window to look down at the courtyard.• Don't put your glass so close to the edge of the table.• When she recovered she was holding on to the edge of the table for balance.• The edges of the carpet were torn.• Some athletes lose their edge by their mid-20s.the edge of something• He stopped at the edge of the clearing.• She and her family live on the edge of poverty.• People seemed to be living on the edge of their nerves.• She found a bathroom further along, and sat on the edge of the bath.• We were alone in my room on the fourth floor, sitting side by side on the edge of the bed.• I was privately grateful that it was too dark to make out the edge of the precipice.• He rolled over the edge of the bed and put first one knee, then the other, on the floor.• Philip took the path that he and Lee had taken yesterday to get to the edge of the field.edgeedge2 verb 1 move [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION to move gradually with several small movements, or to make something do this Tim was edging away from the crowd. She edged closer to get a better look. He edged her towards the door.edge your way into/round/through etc something Christine edged her way round the back of the house.2 put at edge [transitive]EDGE to put something on the edge or border of something The city square was edged by trees.be edged with something The tablecloth is edged with lace.Grammar Edge is usually passive in this meaning.3 change [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]SLOW to change gradually, especially so as to get better or worseedge up/down Profits have edged up. The paper has edged ahead of (=been more successful than) its rivals.4 grass [transitive]DLG to cut the edges of an area of grass so that they are tidy and straight → edge somebody ↔ out→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
edge• Then he edged a ball into his pad and some one made a stifled appeal.• He kept an eye on me as he edged across the room.• Billy edged along the ledge, trying not to look down.• As he edged closer, Jan became more nervous.• Ross Perot edges ever closer to declaring himself the candidate of his new Reform Party.• The action reversed a trend in which the two countries appeared to be edging ever so slightly toward increased cooperation.• Fontes edged Gibbs in the voting for NFL Coach of the Year.• Edging my way through the crowd, I eventually managed to get to the bar.• I brush the sleeve of her kimono as I edge past.• Mervyn edged sideways through the front door, which seemed to be stuck.• There were a few trees edging the pavement, but they were an urban stock, twisted and stunted by city poisons.• I started edging towards the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed.edge your way into/round/through etc something• I spotted Dad edging his way through the throng.• New terminologies were not difficult to master, and gradually the possibility of perfection began edging its way into my life.• Nick slipped off his clothes and edged his way into the water.• There were certainly more people than she had expected as they edged their way into the crowded lounge.be edged with something• Meanwhile, the canal is edged with black bricks laid with black mortar which provides a very smart finish to the canal.• Her voice was edged with irritation.edge up/down• Wall Street edged up 0.9% and the world index gained 1.2%.• Shares of Westinghouse edged down 1 / 4 to 18 1 / 8.• Flap extension automatically selects drooping leading edge down.• November output edged up a preliminary 0. 1 % from October but tumbled 3. 7 % from November 1994.• We edged up along a steep, snowy ridge and over the heaven-scraped granite to the top.• As the national minimum wage was edged up, so the position altered.• Load factor edged up to 52. 2 % from 51. 4 %.From Longman Business Dictionaryedgeedge1 /edʒ/ noun [singular]COMMERCE have/give somebody an edge (over somebody/something) if a person, company, or country has an edge over others, they are more successful, profitable etc because they have an advantage that the others do not haveThey have a slight edge over their competitors.It has lower overheads than many similar companies, giving it an important competitive edge. → see also leading edgeedgeedge2 verb [intransitive]1edge up/upwards/higher/ahead etc to increase by a small amountConsumer prices edged up 0.2% last month.Hong Kong edged ahead after a day of sharp swings.Turnover edged forward 2% to £43.6 million.2edge down/downwards/lower/back to decrease by a small amountSales of cars, trucks and buses in Japan edged down 0.9% in January.The index, which had climbed to 106.6 in late July, edged back to 100.4.→ See Verb tableOrigin edge1 Old English ecg 