Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense bridges, present participle bridging, past tense, past participle bridged
1. countable noun
A bridge is a structure that is built over a railway, river, or road so that people or vehiclescan cross from one side to the other.
He walked back over the railway bridge.
...the Golden Gate Bridge.
Synonyms: arch, span, viaduct, aqueduct More Synonyms of bridge
2. countable noun
A bridge between two places is a piece of land that joins or connects them.
...a land bridge linking Serbian territories.
3. verb
To bridge the gap between two people or things means to reduce it or get rid of it.
It is unlikely that the two sides will be able to bridge their differences. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: connect, join, link More Synonyms of bridge
4. verb
Something that bridges the gap between two very different things has some of the qualities of each of thesethings.
...the singer who bridged the gap between pop music and opera. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: reconcile, unite, resolve, overcome More Synonyms of bridge
5. countable noun
If something or someone acts as a bridge between two people, groups, or things, they connect them.
We hope this book will act as a bridge between doctor and patient. [+ between]
They saw themselves as a bridge to peace. [+ to]
Synonyms: link, tie, bond, connection More Synonyms of bridge
6. countable noun [usually singular]
Thebridge is the place on a ship from which it is steered.
7. countable noun [usually singular]
The bridge of your nose is the thin top part of it, between your eyes.
On the bridge of his hooked nose was a pair of gold rimless spectacles. [+ of]
8. countable noun [usually singular]
The bridge of a pair of glasses is the part that rests on your nose.
9. countable noun [usually singular]
The bridge of a violin, guitar, or other stringed instrument is the small piece of wood under the strings that holds them up.
10. countable noun
A bridge is a piece of metal or plastic that holds false teeth in place by connecting them to natural teeth.
11. uncountable noun
Bridge is a card game for four players in which the players begin by declaring how many tricks they expect to win.
12. See also suspension bridge
13.
See burn one's bridges
14. water under the bridge
More Synonyms of bridge
bridge in British English1
(brɪdʒ)
noun
1.
a structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway, river, or some other obstacle
2.
something that resembles this in shape or function
his letters provided a bridge across the centuries
3.
a.
the hard ridge at the upper part of the nose, formed by the underlying nasal bones
b.
any anatomical ridge or connecting structure
Compare pons
4.
the part of a pair of glasses that rests on the nose
5. Also called: bridgework
a dental plate containing one or more artificial teeth that is secured to the surrounding natural teeth
6.
a platform athwartships and above the rail, from which a ship is piloted and navigated
7.
a piece of wood, usually fixed, supporting the strings of a violin, guitar, etc, and transmitting their vibrations to the sounding board
8. Also called: bridge passage
a passage in a musical, literary, or dramatic work linking two or more important sections
9. Also called: bridge circuit electronics
any of several networks, such as a Wheatstone bridge, consisting of two branches across which a measuringdevice is connected. The resistance, capacitance, etc, of one component can be determined from the known values of the others whenthe voltage in each branch is balanced
10. computing
a device that connects networks and sends packets between them
11. billiards, snooker
a.
a support for a cue made by placing the fingers on the table and raising the thumb
b.
a cue rest with a notched end for shots beyond normal reach
12. theatre
a.
a platform of adjustable height above or beside the stage for the use of stagehands, light operators, etc
b. mainly British
a part of the stage floor that can be raised or lowered
13.
a partition in a furnace or boiler to keep the fuel in place
14. build bridges
15. burn one's bridges
16. cross a bridge when one comes to it
verb(transitive)
17.
to build or provide a bridge over something; span
to bridge a river
18.
to connect or reduce the distance between
let us bridge our differences
Derived forms
bridgeable (ˈbridgeable) or bridgable (ˈbridgable)
adjective
bridgeless (ˈbridgeless)
adjective
Word origin
Old English brycg; related to Old Norse bryggja gangway, Old Frisian bregge, Old High German brucka, Danish, Swedish bro
bridge in British English2
(brɪdʒ)
noun
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
Word origin
C19: of uncertain origin, but compare Turkish bir-üç (unattested phrase) one-three (said perhaps to refer to the one exposed hand andthe three players' hands)
Bridge in British English
(brɪdʒ)
noun
Frank. 1879–1941, English composer, esp of chamber music. He taught Benjamin Britten
bridge in American English1
(brɪdʒ)
noun
1.
a structure built over a river, railroad, highway, etc. to provide a way across for vehicles or pedestrians
2.
a thing that provides connection, contact, or transition
a common language is a bridge between cultures
3.
a.
the upper, bony part of the nose
b.
the curved bow of a pair of eyeglasses fitting over the nose
4.
a.
a thin arched, usually wooden support on the belly of violins, lutes, guitars, etc. over which the strings are stretched
b.
a similar support for the strings of a piano, harpsichord, etc.
5.
an overhead framework across sets of railroad tracks, for carrying signals; gantry
6.
a raised structure on a ship, usually in the forward part, from which it is controlledwhile underway
7.
a dividing partition for keeping fuel in place in a furnace or boiler
8. Billiards
a.
a position of the hand when it is functioning as a support and guide for the cue in making a shot
b.
a device consisting of a notched transverse piece attached to the end of a cue having the same function
9. Chemistry
hydrogen bond
10. Dentistry
a fixed or removable mounting for a false tooth or teeth, attached to a real tooth or teeth
11. Electricity
a device used primarily in measuring resistances, frequencies, etc., by comparing the effect of the unknown element with that of known or standard elements in the circuit
12. Music
a connecting passage between two sections of a composition
verb transitiveWord forms: bridged or ˈbridging
13.
to build a bridge on or over
14.
to provide a bridge, connection, transition, etc. across or between
adjective
15.
designating or of products priced between the least expensive and the premium
a bridge line
Idioms:
burn one's bridges (behind one)
Derived forms
bridgeable (ˈbridgeable)
adjective
Word origin
ME brigge < OE brycge < IE base *bhrū, log, beam, hence wooden causeway
bridge in American English2
(brɪdʒ)
noun
any of various card games, for two pairs of players, that developed from whist; esp., contract bridge
see also UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
Word origin
earlier (1886) biritch, “Russian whist,” altered after bridge1; game and name ? of Russ orig.
More idioms containing
bridge
someone will cross that bridge when they come to it
Was it easy to bridge the divide between the culture and education departments?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He is the one who can bridge the gap.
The Sun (2016)
He leans forward to show me the scar on the bridge of his nose.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It requires two of you to use five blocks to build a bridge supported only at each end.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Because sport seeks to build bridges.
The Sun (2017)
The 33-year-old was confronted by two youths while walking under a railway bridge.
The Sun (2016)
These would be much less prone to the unpredictable winds than conventional passenger jets and could provide an air bridge from Namibia.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They secured a 1.2million bridging loan on the property, it was alleged.
The Sun (2017)
The windows at the back of the bridge are charmingly stained.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
It set us thinking about how that distance could be bridged.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Other qualities are beginning to bridge the eras.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The hope was that the new arrangement would bridge that divide.
Coyle, Andrew & Stern, Vivien The Prisons We Deserve (1994)
Your life is a bridge over which people walk from death to life.
Christianity Today (2000)
New walkways and air bridges will provide direct access to aircraft.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
That bridging loan needs to be repaid.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
What business schools can do is to bridge the two.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The group said that strong cash generation in the combined business would help to bridge the gap.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Going down one in a valiant effort to make such a game is good bridge.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Books bridge the gaps between different generations better than anything else.
The Sun (2013)
Roads and bridges are connecting the two sides of the valley.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She also had a nasty looking cut above the bridge of her nose.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It has been used to build bridges and promote mutual dialogue.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Next stop was a cobbled road under a railway bridge.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Maybe at one of our bridge dos.
Paige, Frances The Glasgow Girls (1994)
It was often used as a temporary bridge while permanent structures were built underneath or repaired.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The skin on the nose and on the bridge of the nose will probably appear oily.
Brumberg, Elaine Take Care of Your Skin (1990)
Ireland was also once connected to the British mainland by a land bridge.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Burn some bridges, build new bridges.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Word lists with
bridge
card games
In other languages
bridge
British English: bridge /brɪdʒ/ NOUN
A bridge is a structure built over a river, road, or railway so that people or vehicles can cross from one side to the other.
I walked across the bridge.
American English: bridge
Arabic: جِسْر
Brazilian Portuguese: ponte
Chinese: 桥
Croatian: most
Czech: most
Danish: bro
Dutch: brug
European Spanish: puente
Finnish: silta
French: pont sur rivière
German: Brücke
Greek: γέφυρα
Italian: ponte
Japanese: 橋
Korean: 다리
Norwegian: bro
Polish: most
European Portuguese: ponte
Romanian: pod
Russian: мост a card game
Latin American Spanish: puente
Swedish: bro
Thai: สะพาน
Turkish: köprü
Ukrainian: міст
Vietnamese: cầu qua sông
British English: bridge VERB
To bridge the gap between two people or things means to reduce it or get rid of it.
It is unlikely that the two sides will be able to bridge their differences.
American English: bridge
Brazilian Portuguese: aproximar
Chinese: 克服
European Spanish: tender un puente
French: combler
German: überbrücken
Italian: colmare
Japanese: 隔たりなどを なくす
Korean: 간극을 좁히다
European Portuguese: aproximar
Latin American Spanish: tender un puente
All related terms of 'bridge'
air bridge
a link by air transport between two places, esp two places separated by a stretch of sea
bridge loan
a short-term loan that provides interim financing for the purchase of new property until the old property can be sold
bridge roll
a soft bread roll in a long thin shape
deck bridge
a bridge with an upper horizontal beam that carries the roadway
ice bridge
a body of ice that forms across the width of a river and is strong enough to bear traffic
land bridge
a connecting tract of land between two continents , enabling animals to pass from one continent to the other
road bridge
a bridge for road traffic
snow bridge
a mass of snow bridging a crevasse , sometimes affording a risky way across it
toll bridge
a bridge at which a toll is levied on people who want to cross it
turn bridge
a low bridge that can be rotated about a vertical axis , esp to permit the passage of ships
asses' bridge
→ pons asinorum
Bailey bridge
a temporary bridge made of prefabricated steel panels that can be rapidly assembled
board bridge
a form of contract bridge , esp at clubs and in competitions , in which the hands are kept as dealt and played by different players. The partners with the highest average score are the winners
bridge party
a gathering for the purpose of playing bridge
bridge player
a person who plays the game of bridge
float bridge
a bridge , as from a pier to a boat, floating at one end and hinged at the other to permit loading and unloading at any level of water
flying bridge
an auxiliary bridge of a vessel, usually built above or far outboard of the main bridge
Humber Bridge
→ the Humber Bridge
London Bridge
a bridge over the Thames between the City of London on the north side , and Southwark on the south side.
Millau Bridge
a road bridge , the highest in the world, crossing the River Tarn in the Massif Central in SW France; designed by Sir Norman Foster and opened in 2004
pivot bridge
a low bridge that can be rotated about a vertical axis , esp to permit the passage of ships
Rialto Bridge
a bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice , Italy, linking Rialto Island with San Marco Island
rubber bridge
a form of bridge in which fresh hands are dealt for each round and the aim is to win a rubber
swing bridge
A swing bridge is a low bridge that can be opened either in the middle or on one side in order to let ships pass through.
truss bridge
a bridge that is constructed of trusses
auction bridge
a variety of bridge , now generally superseded by contract bridge, in which all the tricks made score towards the game
balance bridge
a bascule bridge
bascule bridge
a kind of drawbridge counterweighted so that it can be raised and lowered easily
bridge a gap
to remedy a deficiency
bridge-builder
a person who attempts to connect or reconcile opposing parties
bridge-building
efforts to establish communications and friendly contacts between people in order to make them friends or allies
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
bridge passage
a structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway , river, or some other obstacle
clapper bridge
a primitive type of bridge in which planks or slabs of stone rest on piles of stones
contract bridge
the most common variety of bridge , in which the declarer receives points counting towards game and rubber only for tricks he or she bids as well as makes, any overtricks receiving bonus points
humpback bridge
a large whalebone whale , Megaptera novaeangliae, closely related and similar to the rorquals but with a humped back and long flippers : family Balaenopteridae
Natural Bridge
limestone formation in WC Va., over a tributary of the James River: 215 ft (66 m) high; span c. 90 ft (27.4 m)
pontoon bridge
a bridge (esp temporary ) that floats on water, supported by watertight floats or vessels
railway bridge
a bridge built to carry a railway over a road , river, etc
Rainbow Bridge
a natural stone bridge over a creek in SE Utah . Height : 94 m (309 ft). Span : 85 m (278 ft)
Stamford Bridge
a village in N England, east of York : site of a battle (1066) in which King Harold of England defeated his brother Tostig and King Harald Hardrada of Norway , three weeks before the Battle of Hastings
through bridge
a bridge in which the track is carried by the lower horizontal members
trestle bridge
a framework in the form of a horizontal member supported at each end by a pair of splayed legs, used to carry scaffold boards, a table top, etc
bridge rectifier
a full-wave rectifier consisting of a bridge with a similar rectifier in each of the four arms
cantilever bridge
a bridge having spans that are constructed as cantilevers and often a suspended span or spans, each end of which rests on one end of a cantilever span
duplicate bridge
a form of contract bridge , esp at clubs and in competitions , in which the hands are kept as dealt and played by different players. The partners with the highest average score are the winners
humpbacked bridge
A humpbacked bridge or humpback bridge is a short and very curved bridge with a shape similar to a semi-circle.
Millennium Bridge
a steel bridge for pedestrians over the River Thames linking the City of London at St Paul's Cathedral with the Tate Modern Gallery at Bankside : it has a span of 325 m (1056 ft)
suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge that is supported from above by cables.
transporter bridge
a bridge consisting of a movable platform suspended from cables , for transporting vehicles, etc across a body of water
Chinese translation of 'bridge'
bridge
(brɪdʒ)
n
(c) (Archit) 桥(橋) (qiáo) (座, zuò)
(c) (Naut) 舰(艦)桥(橋) (jiànqiáo)
(c)[of nose]鼻梁 (bíliáng)
(u) (Cards) 桥(橋)牌 (qiáopái)
(c) (fig) 桥(橋)梁作用 (qiáoliáng zuòyòng)
vt
(fig)[gap, gulf]跨越 (kuàyuè)
1 (noun)
He walked over the railway bridge.
Synonyms
arch
The theatre is located under old railway arches in the East End.
span
viaduct
aqueduct
flyover
overpass
fixed link (Canadian)
2 (noun)
They saw themselves as a bridge to peace.
Synonyms
link
They hope to cement close links with Moscow.
tie
little empire-line coats with ribbon ties
bond
the bond that linked them
connection
Check radiators for small leaks, especially round pipework connections.
1 (verb)
Definition
to build or provide a bridge over (something)
a tree used to bridge the river
Synonyms
span
the humped iron bridge spanning the railway
cross
A bridge crosses the river about half a mile outside the village.
go over
cross over
traverse
I traversed the narrow pedestrian bridge.
reach across
extend across
arch over
2 (verb)
She bridged the gap between pop music and opera.
Synonyms
reconcile
unite
They have agreed to unite their efforts to bring peace.
resolve
overcome
Opposites
separate,
split
,
divide
,
widen
,
sever
,
keep apart
,
sunder
3 (verb)
It is unlikely that the two sides will be able to bridge their differences.
Synonyms
connect
There is no evidence to connect him to the robberies.
I wouldn't have connected the two events if you hadn't said that.
join
The opened link is used to join the two ends of the chain.
link
the Channel Tunnel linking Britain and France
related words
related adjectivepontine
subject word lists
See names of bridgesSee types of bridge
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bond
Definition
something that brings or holds people together
the bond that linked them
Synonyms
tie,
union,
coupling,
link,
association,
relation,
connection,
alliance,
attachment,
affinity,
affiliation
in the sense of connection
Definition
a link or bond
Check radiators for small leaks, especially round pipework connections.
Synonyms
link,
coupling,
junction,
fastening,
tie,
portal,
USB port
in the sense of cross
Definition
to move or go across (something)
A bridge crosses the river about half a mile outside the village.