fringe
fringe Lexical Profile
fringe Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The outer, marginal, or extreme part of an area, group, or sphere of activity.
"The activists were once considered to be on the fringe of the political spectrum before their ideas gained popular traction."
British The front part of a person's hair cut so as to hang over the forehead.
"She decided to visit the salon to get her fringe trimmed before the wedding."
An ornamental border of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists, used to edge clothing or material.
"The vintage lampshade was decorated with a long, golden fringe."
• verb
To form a border or edge around something.
"A thick line of ancient pine trees fringed the quiet, secluded lake."
To decorate clothing or material with an ornamental border of loose or twisted threads.
"She carefully fringed the edges of the handmade shawl with bright red silk."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, 'fringe' commonly refers to the front part of a person's hair cut across the forehead, whereas American English exclusively uses the term 'bangs' for this meaning.
• Rhymes for fringe
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'frenge', borrowed from Old French 'frenge', which ultimately derives from Vulgar Latin '*frimbia' (an alteration of Latin 'fimbria', meaning 'border' or 'edge').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.