edge: [OE] Edge is probably the main native English representative of the Indo-European base *ak- ‘be sharp or pointed’, which has contributed so many words to the language via Latin and Greek (such as acid, acrid, acute, acne, alacrity, and oxygen). Its Germanic descendant was *ag-, on which was based the noun *agjā, source of German ecke ‘corner’, Swedish egg ‘edge’ (a probable relative of English egg ‘urge’), and English edge. The word’s application to a ‘border’ or ‘boundary’ dates from the late 14th century. => acid, acne, acrid, acute, alacrity, egg, oxygen
edge (n.)
Old English ecg "corner, edge, point," also "sword" (also found in ecgplega, literally "edge play," ecghete, literally "edge hate," both used poetically for "battle"), from Proto-Germanic *agjo (cognates: Old Frisian egg "edge;" Old Saxon eggia "point, edge;" Middle Dutch egghe, Dutch eg; Old Norse egg, see egg (v.); Old High German ecka, German Eck "corner"), from PIE root *ak- "sharp, pointed" (cognates: Sanskrit asrih "edge," Latin acies, Greek akis "point;" see acrid).
Spelling development of Old English -cg to Middle English -gg to Modern English -dge represents a widespread shift in pronunciation. To get the edge on (someone) is U.S. colloquial, first recorded 1911. Edge city is from Joel Garreau's 1992 book of that name. Razor's edge as a perilous narrow path translates Greek epi xyrou akmes. To be on edge "excited or irritable" is from 1872; to have (one's) teeth on edge is from late 14c., though "It is not quite clear what is the precise notion originally expressed in this phrase" [OED].
edge (v.)
late 13c., "to give an edge to" (implied in past participle egged), from edge (n.). Intransitive meaning "to move edgeways (with the edge toward the spectator), advance slowly" is from 1620s, originally nautical. Meaning "to defeat by a narrow margin" is from 1953. The meaning "urge on, incite" (16c.) often must be a mistake for egg (v.). Related: Edger.
双语例句
1. McGregor's effort was enough to edge Johnson out of the top spot.
麦格雷戈奋力一搏，成功地将约翰逊从第一的位置上挤了下来。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The standard of living today is on the edge of subsistence.
现在的生活水平几乎快要无法维持生计。
来自柯林斯例句
3. A spell of poor health took the edge off her performance.
一度身体欠佳令她表现有失水准。
来自柯林斯例句
4. They all walked barefoot across the damp sand to the water's edge.
他们全都光着脚走过潮湿的沙地来到水边。
来自柯林斯例句
5. McNally has spent 17 years at the bleeding edge of computing.
