Illustration of bridge
- 1 beam
- 2 truss
- 3 arch
- 4 suspension
- 5 cable-stayed
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
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
bridged; bridging
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
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
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Feb. 2026
This final stretch offers a glimpse of everyday life outside the city, while also building anticipation as the trip continues into downtown Pittsburgh, where the rivers and bridges above create a breathtaking cityscape.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Many air traffic controllers and other essential employees needed to find a way to bridge the financial gap after missing multiple paychecks.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bridge
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
With that, Shaboozey broke down, squeezing the bridge of his nose to suppress tears.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Feb. 2026
This final stretch offers a glimpse of everyday life outside the city, while also building anticipation as the trip continues into downtown Pittsburgh, where the rivers and bridges above create a breathtaking cityscape.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
Instead of a full-year deal, funding for the department was extended for just two weeks, giving lawmakers little time to bridge the deep divides over immigration enforcement.
—Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Many air traffic controllers and other essential employees needed to find a way to bridge the financial gap after missing multiple paychecks.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bridge
Cite this Entry
“Bridge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridge. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bridge
1 of 3 noun1
: 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
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
noun1
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
