Edge Originally Meant the Blade of a Sword
An edge is the outer limit of something. The Old English word meant the cutting side of a weapon.
An edge is the outer limit of a surface, or the sharpened side of a blade. The blade came first: Old English *ecg* meant a sword's cutting edge, and the geometric sense grew from it. That is why an *edge* is also an advantage — having the edge meant having the sharper weapon. *On edge* means tense, from the sensation of teeth set on edge by a sour taste, an image Shakespeare already found familiar.
- An outer limit. *The edge of the table.*
- A blade. *A sharp edge.*
- An advantage. *A competitive edge.*
- On edge — tense. *On edge.*
- Old English — *ecg*, a blade. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | edge | An edge. |
| Plural | edges | Edges. |
| Verb | edge | Edging. |
| Adjective | edgy | Edgy. |
| Old English | ecg | A blade. |
- He sat on the edge of the bed.Limit.
- The knife has a keen edge.Blade.
- It gave them the edge.Advantage.
Edge idioms
- On edge — tense, from teeth set on edge
- Take the edge off — blunt an intensity
- Cutting edge — the most advanced position
- On a knife edge — finely balanced
- Edge out — win by the narrowest margin
Old English *ecg*, a sword or blade, of Germanic origin, related to Latin *acies*, a sharp edge.
Why does edge mean an advantage?
From the blade. Having the edge meant having the sharper weapon, and the sense carried over to any advantage.
Where does on edge come from?
From the feeling of teeth set on edge by a sour taste, a sensation used for nervous tension since at least Shakespeare's time.