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bridge1

Syllabification: (bridge)
Pronunciation: /brij/
Translate bridge | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of bridge

noun

  • 1a structure carrying a road, path, railroad, or canal across a river, ravine, road, railroad, or other obstacle:a bridge across the river a railroad bridge
  • something that is intended to reconcile or form a connection between two things:a committee that was formed to create a bridge between rival parties
  • a partial denture supported by natural teeth on either side. See also bridgework.
  • the support formed by the hand for the forward part of a billiard cue.
  • a long stick with a frame at the end that is used to support a cue for a shot that is otherwise hard to reach.
  • Music an upright piece of wood on a string instrument over which the strings are stretched.
  • Music a bridge passage or middle eight.
  • short for land bridge.
  • 2the elevated, enclosed platform on a ship from which the captain and officers direct operations.
  • 3the upper bony part of a person’s nose:he pushed his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose
  • the central part of a pair of glasses, fitting over this:these sunglasses have a special nose bridge for comfort
  • 4an electric circuit with two branches across which a detector or load is connected. These circuits are used to measure resistance or other property by equalizing the potential across the two ends of a detector, or to rectify an alternating voltage or current.

verb

[with object]
  • be a bridge over (something):a covered walkway that bridged the gardens
  • build a bridge over (something):earlier attempts to bridge the channel had failed
  • make (a difference between two groups) smaller or less significant:bridging the gap between avant garde art and popular culture

Phrases

a bridge too far

a step or act that is regarded as being too drastic to take:having Botox would be a bridge too far
something that is very difficult to achieve:that second goal proved a bridge too far

burn one's bridges

see burn1.

cross that bridge when one comes to it

deal with a problem when and if it arises.

Derivatives

bridgeable

adjective

Origin:

Old English brycg (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch brug and German Brücke

bridge in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bridge in the British & World English dictionary