Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense wedges, present participle wedging, past tense, past participle wedged
1. verb
If you wedge something, you force it to remain in a particular position by holding it there tightly or by fixing something next to it to prevent it from moving.
I shut the shed door and wedged it with a log of wood. [VERB noun]
We slammed the gate after them, wedging it shut with planks. [VERB noun adjective]
2. verb
If you wedge something somewhere, you fit it there tightly.
Wedge the plug into the hole. [VERB noun preposition]
The hotel's wedged right between the two airports. [VERB-ed]
3. countable noun
A wedge is an object with one pointed edge and one thick edge, which you put under a door to keep it firmly in position.
4. countable noun
A wedge is a piece of metal with a pointed edge which is used for splitting a material such as stone or wood, by being hammered into a crack in the material.
5. countable noun
A wedgeof something such as fruit or cheese is a piece of it that has a thick triangular shape.
6.
See drive a wedge
7.
See the thin end of the wedge
More Synonyms of wedge
wedge in British English
(wɛdʒ)
noun
1.
a block of solid material, esp wood or metal, that is shaped like a narrow V in cross section and can be pushed or driven between two objects or parts of an object in order to split or secure them
2.
any formation, structure, or substance in the shape of a wedge
a wedge of cheese
3.
something such as an idea, action, etc, that tends to cause division
4.
a shoe with a wedge heel
5. golf
a club with a face angle of more than 50°, used for bunker shots (sand wedge) or pitch shots (pitching wedge)
6.
a wedge-shaped extension of the high pressure area of an anticyclone, narrower than a ridge
7. mountaineering
a wedge-shaped device, formerly of wood, now usually of hollow steel, for hammering into a crack to provide an anchor point
8.
any of the triangular characters used in cuneiform writing
9.
(formerly) a body of troops formed in a V-shape
10. photography
a strip of glass coated in such a way that it is clear at one end but becomes progressively more opaque towards the other end: used in making measurements of transmission density
11. British slang
a bribe
12. thin end of the wedge
verb
13. (transitive)
to secure with or as if with a wedge
14.
to squeeze or be squeezed like a wedge into a narrow space
15. (transitive)
to force apart or divide with or as if with a wedge
Derived forms
wedgelike (ˈwedgeˌlike)
adjective
wedgy (ˈwedgy)
adjective
Word origin
Old English wecg; related to Old Saxon weggi, Old High German wecki, Old Norse veggr wall
wedge in American English
(wɛdʒ)
noun
1.
a piece of hard material, as wood or metal, tapering from a thick back to a thin edge that can be driven or forced into a narrow opening, as to split wood, lift a weight, or reinforce a structure
2.
anything shaped like a wedge or having a wedge-shaped part [a wedge of pie]
; specif.,
a.
a wedge-shaped stroke in cuneiform writing
b.
a wedge-shaped tactical formation, as of troops
c. Golf
an iron with a specially weighted head and the face angled to give the most loft, as for shots out of bunkers
3.
any action or procedure that serves to open the way for a gradual change, disruption, intrusion, etc.
verb transitiveWord forms: wedged or ˈwedging
4.
to split or force apart with or as with a wedge
5.
to fix solidly in place by driving a wedge or wedges under, beside, etc.
6.
to force or pack (in)
7.
to force or crowd together in a narrow space
verb intransitive
8.
to push or be forced as or like a wedge
Derived forms
wedgelike (ˈwedgeˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
ME wegge < OE wecg, akin to Ger dial. weck < IE *wogwhyo-, wedge, akin to *wogwhni-s, plowshare > L vomis, OHG waganso
wedge in Mechanical Engineering
(wɛdʒ)
Word forms: (regular plural) wedges
noun
(Mechanical engineering: General)
A wedge is a triangular-shaped solid inserted between two parts in order to prevent movement between them or to force them apart.
Drive a triangular wedge into the gap to keep the two parts separate.
A tapered metal wedge was slid between the flat face of one bar and the curved face of the next.
A wedge is a triangular shaped solid inserted between two parts in order to prevent movementbetween them or to force them apart.
More idioms containing
wedge
drive a wedge between people
the thin end of the wedge
Examples of 'wedge' in a sentence
wedge
Cut the sweet potato into thick wedges and place them in a shallow roasting tray.
The Sun (2017)
They now wedge them in doors and windows to avoid being sued if tape pulls paint off as documents are removed.
The Sun (2016)
Serve with lime wedges to squeeze.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 min before serving in thick wedges.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The building looks like a giant wedge of cheese cut into the side of a hill.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Worryingly one image appears to show a cell door wedged shut from the inside using a broom.
The Sun (2015)
Then one summer a local political issue drove a wedge through the two sets of parents.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
Wear with high wedges and serious leg shimmer.
The Sun (2007)
Five years ago it was buildings shaped like wedges.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Peel and slice onion into thin wedges.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We could see he was trying to put a wedge between her and us.
The Sun (2012)
Warm through and serve with a lime wedge to squeeze into the soup.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He was wedged in the hole with hardly any room.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Wear with wedge heels for a terrific look.
The Sun (2007)
They also leave just enough space to wedge your hand firmly against the wall behind.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The pair almost become wedged in revolving doors.
The Sun (2011)
How do the areas of the two wedges compare?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Treat yourself to the best wedges on the high street.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Put the same wedge in your glass with ice and serve.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Cut it into thick slices or wedges to serve.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Squeeze the lime wedge and drop into the glass.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Likewise for hot dogs, popcorn and cheese wedges.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
By supermini standards, this is a cool car with a striking wedge shape and piercing lights.
The Sun (2008)
I wedged myself more tightly in front of the TV.
Bachmann, Susan (editor) & Barth, Melinda Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook (1995)
Between the treadmill handles and the running board, resting upon blocks of wood, we wedged my walking frame to give me something high to lean on.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Word lists with
wedge
hairstyle
In other languages
wedge
British English: wedge VERB
If you wedge something, you force it to remain in a particular position by holding it there tightly or by fixing something next to it to prevent it from moving.
I shut the shed door and wedged it with a log of wood.
American English: wedge
Brazilian Portuguese: apinhar
Chinese: 把…楔住
European Spanish: calzar
French: caler
German: festklemmen
Italian: bloccarecon zeppa
Japanese: くさびで固定する
Korean: > 고정시키다~에 쐐기를 박아
European Portuguese: apinhar
Latin American Spanish: trancar
British English: wedge NOUN
A wedge of something such as fruit or cheese is a piece of it that has a thick triangular shape.
Serve with a wedge of lime.
American English: wedge
Brazilian Portuguese: cunha
Chinese: 楔子
European Spanish: cuña
French: coin
German: Keil
Italian: zeppa
Japanese: くさび
Korean: 쐐기 모양의 것
European Portuguese: cunha
Latin American Spanish: cuña
All related terms of 'wedge'
sand wedge
a club with a flanged sole and a face angle of more than 50°, used in bunker shots to cut through sand , get under the ball, and lift it clear
wedge heel
a raised shoe heel with the heel and sole forming a solid block
wedge issue
an issue that is likely to cause division between the members of a group
wedge-soled
having a wedge heel
wedge-heeled
having a wedge heel
wedge-shaped
shaped like a wedge
butterfly wedge
a wooden fastening in the form of a double dovetail for joining two boards at their edges
pitching wedge
a club with a face angle of more than 50°, used for short, lofted pitch shots
accretionary wedge
a body of deformed sediments , wedge-shaped in two dimensions or prism-shaped in three dimensions, that has been scraped off the surface of the oceanic lithosphere as it moves downwards beneath a continent or island arc . The sediments are added to the continental edge
drive a wedge
If someone drives a wedge between two people who are close, they cause ill feelings between them in order to weaken their relationship .
wedge-heeled shoes
shoes with wedge heels
wedge-tailed eagle
a large brown Australian eagle , Aquila audax, having a wedge-shaped tail and a wingspan of 3 m
thin end of the wedge
anything unimportant in itself that implies the start of something much larger
drive a wedge between people
to cause bad feelings between two people who are close in order to weaken their relationship
the thin end of the wedge
If you say that something is the thin end of the wedge , you mean that it appears to be unimportant at the moment , but that it is the beginning of a bigger , more harmful development.
eagle-hawk
a large aggressive Australian eagle , Aquila audax
Chinese translation of 'wedge'
wedge
(wɛdʒ)
n(c)
(under door etc) 三角木 (sānjiǎomù)
[of cheese, cake etc]楔形 (xiēxíng)
(= tool) 楔子 (xiēzi)
vt
to wedge sth open/shut顶(頂)住某物使之开(開)着(著)/关(關)着(著) (dǐngzhù mǒuwù shǐ zhī kāizhe/guānzhe)
(= push)
to wedge sth in sth将(將)某物楔入某物 (jiāng mǒuwù xiērù mǒuwù)
to be wedged (in) between被紧(緊)紧(緊)地夹(夾)在 ... 中间(間) (bèi jǐnjǐn de jiā zài ... zhōngjiān)
to drive a wedge between在 ... 之间(間)挑拨(撥)离(離)间(間) (zài ... zhījiān tiǎobō líjiàn)
(verb)
Definition
to squeeze into a narrow space
He wedged himself between the door and the radiator.
Synonyms
squeeze
Somehow they managed to squeeze into the tight space.
force
lodge
jam
He jammed his hands into his pockets.
crowd
A group of journalists were crowded into a minibus.
Hundreds of people crowded into the building.
block
stuff
His trousers were stuffed inside the tops of his boots.
pack
All her possessions were packed into the back of her car.
Thousands of people packed into the arena.
thrust
They thrust him into the back of a jeep.
ram
He rammed the key into the lock and kicked the front door open.
cram
She pulled off her school hat and crammed it into a wastebasket.
stow
I helped her stow her bags in the boot of the car.
(noun)
Definition
a slice shaped like a wedge
a wedge of cheese
Synonyms
block
a block of ice
segment
I handed out segments of orange at half-time.
lump
a lump of wood
chunk
Cut the melon into chunks.
triangle
slab
slabs of stone
hunk
a thick hunk of bread
chock
wodge (British, informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of chunk
Definition
a thick solid piece of something
Cut the melon into chunks.
Synonyms
piece,
block,
mass,
portion,
lump,
slab,
hunk,
nugget,
wad,
dollop (informal),
wodge (British, informal)
in the sense of cram
Definition
to force (more people or things) into (a place) than it can hold
She pulled off her school hat and crammed it into a wastebasket.
Synonyms
stuff,
force,
jam,
ram,
shove,
compress,
compact
in the sense of crowd
Definition
to press together into a confined space
A group of journalists were crowded into a minibus.Hundreds of people crowded into the building.
Synonyms
squeeze,
pack,
pile,
bundle,
cram
Synonyms of 'wedge'
wedge
Explore 'wedge' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of hunk
Definition
a large piece
a thick hunk of bread
Synonyms
lump,
piece,
chunk,
block,
mass,
wedge,
slab,
nugget,
wodge (British, informal),
gobbet
in the sense of jam
Definition
to wedge (an object) into a tight space or against another object
He jammed his hands into his pockets.
Synonyms
pack,
force,
press,
stuff,
squeeze,
compact,
ram,
wedge,
cram,
compress
in the sense of lump
Definition
a small solid mass without definite shape
a lump of wood
Synonyms
piece,
group,
ball,
spot,
block,
mass,
cake,
bunch,
cluster,
chunk,
wedge,
dab,
hunk,
nugget,
gob,
clod,
gobbet
in the sense of pack
Definition
to press tightly together
All her possessions were packed into the back of her car.Thousands of people packed into the arena.
Synonyms
cram,
charge,
crowd,
press,
fill,
stuff,
jam,
compact,
mob,
ram,
wedge,
compress,
throng,
tamp
in the sense of ram
Definition
to stuff or cram
He rammed the key into the lock and kicked the front door open.
Synonyms
cram,
pound,
force,
stuff,
pack,
hammer (informal),
jam,
thrust,
tamp
in the sense of segment
Definition
one of several parts or sections into which an object is divided
I handed out segments of orange at half-time.
Synonyms
section,
bit,
slice,
portion,
lump,
chunk,
wedge,
slab,
hunk
in the sense of slab
Definition
a broad flat thick piece of wood, stone, or other material
slabs of stone
Synonyms
piece,
slice,
lump,
chunk,
wedge,
hunk,
portion,
nugget,
wodge (British, informal)
in the sense of stow
Definition
to pack or store (something)
I helped her stow her bags in the boot of the car.
Synonyms
pack,
load,
put away,
store,
stuff,
deposit,
jam,
tuck,
bundle,
cram,
stash (informal),
secrete
in the sense of stuff
Definition
to force, shove, or squeeze (something somewhere)
His trousers were stuffed inside the tops of his boots.