fringe

noun

• 1an ornamental border of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists, used to edge clothing or material.

• 2chiefly British term for bangs (see bang¹ (sense 2 of the noun)).
• a natural border of hair or fibers in an animal or plant.

• 3 (often the fringes) the outer, marginal, or extreme part of an area, group, or sphere of activity:his uncles were on the fringes of crooked activity
• (the fringe) the unconventional, extreme, or marginal wing of a group or sphere of activity:the lunatic fringe of American political life rap music is no longer something on the fringe

• 4a band of contrasting brightness or darkness produced by diffraction or interference of light.
• a strip of false color in an optical image.

• 5short for fringe benefit.

adjective

• not part of the mainstream; unconventional, peripheral, or extreme:fringe theater

verb (fringes, fringing, fringed)

• decorate (clothing or material) with a fringe:a rich robe of gold, fringed with black velvet
• form a border around (something):the sea is fringed by palm trees
• (as adjective fringed) (of a plant or animal) having a natural border of hair or fiber.