A Wedge Is One of the Six Simple Machines
A wedge is a tapered object used to split or secure. Physics counts it among the fundamental machines.
A wedge is a piece of material tapering to a thin edge, used to split, lift or hold something fast. It is one of the six classical simple machines, alongside the lever, pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane and screw. A wedge is really an inclined plane that moves: it converts a force applied to its blunt end into a much larger force pushing sideways, which is how an axe splits wood. *The thin end of the wedge* means a small change that opens the way to a larger one.
- A tapered object. *A door wedge.*
- A simple machine. *One of six.*
- A wedge shape. *A wedge of cheese.*
- Thin end of the wedge — a small first step. *The thin end.*
- Old English — *wecg*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | wedge | A wedge. |
| Plural | wedges | Wedges. |
| Verb | wedge | Wedge it. |
| Adjective | wedged | Wedged. |
| Old English | wecg | A wedge. |
- Put a wedge under the door.Object.
- A wedge of lemon.Shape.
- This is the thin end of the wedge.Idiom.
The six simple machines
- Lever — a bar pivoting on a fulcrum
- Wheel and axle — a rotating lever
- Pulley — redirects and multiplies force with a rope
- Inclined plane — a ramp reducing the force needed to raise a load
- Wedge and screw — both are moving inclined planes
Old English *wecg*, a wedge or lump of metal, of Germanic origin.
Why is a wedge a simple machine?
Because it converts a force applied to its blunt end into a much larger sideways force, in the way an inclined plane converts a long gentle push into lifting.
What does the thin end of the wedge mean?
A small change that seems harmless but opens the way to much larger ones, as driving in a wedge begins with its narrow tip.