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
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
We are connected to the Spanish mainland via two bridges and a natural isthmus, which has been in use since Roman times.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2025
Asaf Darash, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
These climatic shifts allowed the formation of continual landmasses, including one that bridged Anatolia and Europe.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bridge
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Noun
The slough, which can be seen from the BART pedestrian bridge that brings event attendees into the Coliseum grounds, also receives runoff from the Arroyo Viejo and Lion creeks, a pair of urban streams known for their pollution.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
We are connected to the Spanish mainland via two bridges and a natural isthmus, which has been in use since Roman times.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
Recognizing those blind spots and knowing how to bridge them can mean the difference between gaining a high-retention client and losing one before the real value kicks in.
—Asaf Darash, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
These climatic shifts allowed the formation of continual landmasses, including one that bridged Anatolia and Europe.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bridge
Cite this Entry
“Bridge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridge. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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
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