: 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
Some tips to eat more lemons include Add lemon juice or a lemon wedge to water or tea.—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 26 Dec. 2025 Cut the bald lemon in wedges for serving.—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
Verb
High on the sheer limestone cliffs in southwest China, ancient wooden coffins remain wedged into rock faces hundreds of feet above the ground.—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025 Nearly five years of conflict have since ravaged Myanmar, wedged between China and India, decimating what was for a time one of the region’s fastest-growing economies.—Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025 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
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