Collins English-English Dictionary

bridge [brɪʤ]

1. 1. n a structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway, river, or some other obstacle

2. 2. n bridgework a dental plate containing one or more artificial teeth that is secured to the surrounding natural teeth

3. 3. n something that resembles this in shape or function

   his letters provided a bridge across the centuries

4. 4. n the hard ridge at the upper part of the nose, formed by the underlying nasal bones

5. 5. n bridge passage a passage in a musical, literary, or dramatic work linking two or more important sections

6. 6. n any anatomical ridge or connecting structure - Compare pons

7. 7. n [electronics] bridge circuit any of several networks, such as a Wheatstone bridge, consisting of two branches across which a measuring device is connected. The resistance, capacitance, etc, of one component can be determined from the known values of the others when the voltage in each branch is balanced

8. 8. n the part of a pair of glasses that rests on the nose

9. 9. n a platform athwartships and above the rail, from which a ship is piloted and navigated

10. 10. n a piece of wood, usually fixed, supporting the strings of a violin, guitar, etc, and transmitting their vibrations to the sounding board

11. 11. n [computing] a device that connects networks and sends packets between them

12. 12. n [billiards] [snooker] a support for a cue made by placing the fingers on the table and raising the thumb

13. 13. n a cue rest with a notched end for shots beyond normal reach

14. 14. n [theatre] a platform of adjustable height above or beside the stage for the use of stagehands, light operators, etc

15. 15. n [chiefly Brit] a part of the stage floor that can be raised or lowered

16. 16. n a partition in a furnace or boiler to keep the fuel in place

17. 17. n See burn

18. 18. vt. [tr] to build or provide a bridge over something; span

    to bridge a river

19. 19. vt. to connect or reduce the distance between

    let us bridge our differences

20. 20. vt. [Etymology] Old English brycg; related to Old Norse bryggja gangway, Old Frisian bregge, Old High German brucka, Danish, Swedish bro

bridge [brɪʤ]

1. 1. n a card game for four players, based on whist, in which one hand (the dummy) is exposed and the trump suit decided by bidding between the players - See also contract bridge duplicate bridge rubber bridge auction bridge

2. 2. n [Etymology] C19: of uncertain origin, but compare Turkish bir-üç (unattested phrase) one-three (said perhaps to refer to the one exposed hand and the three players' hands)