wedge

/wɛdʒ/

/wɛdʒ/

Other forms: wedged; wedges; wedging

A wedge is a block of wood that keeps a door propped open, or a problem that pulls people apart, like the jealousy that drove a wedge between two friends.

Wedge means "triangle-shaped." Pieces of pie are wedges. So are tortilla chips. In some parts of the country, a sandwich on a long roll is called a wedge, or a wedgie, while in other places, it's a hoagie or sub. As a verb, wedge means to squeeze something into a tight space, like the way you might wedge your history textbook into your already stuffed backpack.

Definitions of wedge

1. noun

   something solid that is usable as an inclined plane (shaped like a V) that can be pushed between two things to separate them
   types:

   ax head, axe head

   the cutting head of an ax

   colter, coulter

   a sharp steel wedge that precedes the plow and cuts vertically through the soil

   moldboard, mouldboard

   wedge formed by the curved part of a steel plow blade that turns the furrow

   ploughshare, plowshare, share

   a sharp steel wedge that cuts loose the top layer of soil

   coign, coigne, quoin

   expandable metal or wooden wedge used by printers to lock up a form within a chase

   shim

   a thin wedge of material (wood or metal or stone) for driving into crevices

   type of:

   inclined plane

   a simple machine for elevating objects; consists of plane surface that makes an acute angle with the horizontal
2. noun

   any shape that is triangular in cross section
   synonyms: cuneus, wedge shape

   type of:

   triangle, trigon, trilateral

   a three-sided polygon
3. noun

   a diacritical mark (an inverted circumflex) placed above certain letters (such as the letter c) to indicate pronunciation
   synonyms: hacek

   type of:

   diacritic, diacritical mark

   a mark added to a letter to indicate a special pronunciation
4. noun

   a heel that is an extension of the sole of the shoe
   synonyms: wedge heel

   type of:

   heel

   the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
5. noun

   (golf) an iron with considerable loft and a broad sole
   types:

   pitching wedge

   a wedge used to loft the golf ball over obstacles

   sand wedge

   a wedge used to get out of sand traps

   type of:

   iron

   a golf club that has a relatively narrow metal head
6. noun

   a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States
   synonyms: Cuban sandwich, Italian sandwich, bomber, grinder, hero, hero sandwich, hoagie, hoagy, poor boy, sub, submarine, submarine sandwich, torpedo, zep

   type of:

   sandwich

   two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them
7. noun

   a block of wood used to prevent the sliding or rolling of a heavy object
   synonyms: chock

   types:

   sprag

   a chock or bar wedged under a wheel or between the spokes to prevent a vehicle from rolling down an incline

   type of:

   block

   a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)
8. verb

   squeeze like a wedge into a tight space
   synonyms: force, squeeze

   types:

   impact

   press or wedge together; pack together

   compact, compress, pack together

   make more compact by or as if by pressing

   pack, tamp, tamp down

   press down tightly

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
9. verb

   put, fix, force, or implant
   synonyms: deposit, lodge, stick

   types:

   redeposit

   deposit anew

   type of:

   fasten, fix, secure

   cause to be firmly attached