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bridge 1 (brĭj)
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n.
1. A structure spanning and providing passage over a gap or barrier, such as a river or roadway.
2. Something resembling or analogous to this structure in form or function: a land bridge between the continents; a bridge of understanding between two countries.
3.
a. The upper bony ridge of the human nose.
b. The part of a pair of eyeglasses that rests against this ridge.
4. A fixed or removable replacement for one or several but not all of the natural teeth, usually anchored at each end to a natural tooth.
5. Music
a. A thin, upright piece of wood in some stringed instruments that supports the strings above the soundboard.
b. A transitional passage connecting two subjects or movements.
6. Nautical A crosswise platform or enclosed area above the main deck of a ship from which the ship is controlled.
7. Games
a. A long stick with a notched plate at one end, used to steady the cue in billiards. Also called rest1.
b. The hand used as a support to steady the cue.
8. Electricity
a. Any of various instruments for measuring or comparing the characteristics, such as impedance or inductance, of a conductor.
b. An electrical shunt.
9. Chemistry An intramolecular connection that spans atoms or groups of atoms.
tr.v. bridged, bridg·ing, bridg·es
1. To build a bridge over.
2. To cross by or as if by a bridge.

[Middle English brigge, from Old English brycg; see bhrū- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

bridgea·ble adj.
(click for a larger image)
bridge1
top: Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
bottom: on a violin
(click for a larger image)
bridge
1

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.