wedge

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) One of the simple machines; a piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other for insertion in a narrow crevice, used for splitting, tightening, securing, or levering.
2. (countable, uncountable) A piece (of food, metal, wood etc.) having this shape.
3. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Something that creates a division, gap or distance between things.
4. (countable, uncountable) A five-sided polyhedron with a rectangular base, two rectangular or trapezoidal sides meeting in an edge, and two triangular ends.
5. (countable, uncountable) A voussoir, one of the wedge-shaped blocks forming an arch or vault.
6. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A flank of cavalry acting to split some portion of an opposing army, charging in an inverted V formation.
7. (collective, countable, uncountable) A group of geese, swans, or other birds when they are in flight in a V formation.
8. (countable, uncountable) A type of iron club used for short, high trajectories.
9. (countable, uncountable) One of a pair of wedge-heeled shoes.
10. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) An ingot.
11. (broadly, obsolete, slang, uncountable) Silver or items made of silver collectively.
12. (British, broadly, colloquial, countable, uncountable) A quantity of money.
13. (US, countable, regional, uncountable) A sandwich made on a long, cylindrical roll.
14. (countable, uncountable) One of the basic elements that make up cuneiform writing, a single triangular impression made with the corner of a reed stylus.
15. (US, countable, uncountable) Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
16. (countable, uncountable) Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
17. (countable, uncountable) Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
18. (countable, uncountable) Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
19. (countable, uncountable) A barometric ridge; an elongated region of high atmospheric pressure between two low-pressure areas.
20. (countable, uncountable) A wedge tornado.
21. (countable, uncountable) A market trend characterized by a contracting range in prices coupled with an upward trend in prices (a rising wedge) or a downward trend in prices (a falling wedge).

Verb

1. (transitive) To support or secure using a wedge.
2. (ambitransitive) To force into a narrow gap.
3. (transitive) To pack (people or animals) together tightly into a mass.
4. (transitive) To work wet clay by cutting or kneading for the purpose of homogenizing the mass and expelling air bubbles.
5. (informal, intransitive) Of a computer program or system: to get stuck in an unresponsive state.
6. (transitive) To cleave with a wedge.
7. (transitive) To force or drive with a wedge.
8. (transitive) To shape into a wedge.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/wɛd͡ʒ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: wegge

Inherited from Old English: weċġ

In summary

From Middle English wegge (“wedge”), from Old English weċġ (“wedge”), from Proto-West Germanic *wagi, from Proto-Germanic *wagjaz.

Synonyms

chock

peg

squeeze

pin

cleat

wedge heel

force

stick

lodge

deposit

support

hacek

slice

cuneus

submarine

submarine sandwich

Cuban sandwich

poor boy

wedge shape

sub

thrust

quoin

penetrate

Italian sandwich

shim

zep

pivotal point

chisel

torpedo

lever

hoagie

insert

bomber

hero

🦸‍♂️

flash of lightning

hoagy

intrude

jam

grinder

hero sandwich

press

push

obtrude

trig

chop

boar

🐗

cartload

block

barge

busyness

Translations

Keil

coin

cuña

cuneo

wig

cunha

cale

klin

spie

keg

falca

σφήνα

zeppa

coincer

incuneare