English Explanatory Dictionary

fringe

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A decorative border.
  2. A border or edging.
  3. A marginal or peripheral part.
  4. A group of people situated on the periphery of a larger community.
  5. Those members of a political party, or any social group, holding extremist or unorthodox views.
  6. The periphery of an area, especially a town or city.
  7. Used attributively with reference to Aboriginal people living on the edge of towns etc.
  8. Synonym of bangs: hair hanging over the forehead, especially a hairstyle where it is cut straight across.
  9. A light or dark band formed by the diffraction of light.
  10. Non-mainstream theatre.
  11. The peristome or fringe-like appendage of the capsules of most mosses.
  12. The area around the green.
adj
  1. Outside the mainstream.
verb
  1. To decorate with fringe.
  2. To serve as a fringe; to border.

Pronunciation

/fɹɪnd͡ʒ/ en-us-fringe.ogg

Word forms

fringe fringes more fringe fringer most fringe fringest fringing fringed

Etymology

From Middle English frenge, from Old French frenge, from Vulgar Latin *frimbia, a metathesis of Latin fimbriae (“fibers, threads, fringe”, plural), of uncertain origin. Compare German Franse and Danish frynse. Displaced native Middle English fnæd (“fringe”), Middle English byrd (“fringe”), Middle English fasel (“fringe”) from Old English fæs (“fringe”), and Old English fnæs (“fringe”). Doublet of fimbria.

Synonyms

edge periphery outskirts bangs nonmainstream marginal peripheral alternative fringy

Derived words

befringe defringe donkey fringe fringe benefit fringecup fringe dweller fringefan fringehead fringeless fringelet fringelike fringepod fringer fringe time fringe-toed lizard fringe tree Fringeverse fringeworthy fringie fringy hoary fringe moss interfringe lunatic fringe Newgate fringe nonfringe rurban fringe underfringe vortex fringe woolly fringe moss fringe church fringe meeting fringe theory

Translations

Arabic: هُدْب Arabic: هُدُب Azerbaijani: saçaq Bulgarian: бордюр Bulgarian: покрайнини Catalan: orla Catalan: perifèria Chinese Mandarin: 流苏 Chinese Mandarin: 穗 Chinese Mandarin: 周边 Chinese Mandarin: 边缘 Czech: třáseň Czech: třepení Danish: frynse Dutch: franje Dutch: periferie Dutch: buitenwijken Egyptian: s-d-b-S28 Esperanto: franĝo Finnish: reunakoriste Finnish: laitakaupunki Finnish: laitama French: frange French: périphérie German: Franse German: Saum German: Einfassung German: Randbezirk German: Randgebiet German: Peripherie Ancient Greek: κράσπεδον Hungarian: rojt Icelandic: kögur Ingrian: marha Italian: frangia Italian: periferia Kabuverdianu: bóka Latin: limbus Māori: kihukihu Māori: kurupatu Middle English: frenge Norwegian: frynse Occitan: franja Occitan: periferia Occitan: barri Old English: fæs Old English: fnæs Old English: fnæd Polish: frędzel Polish: ubocze Portuguese: borda Portuguese: franja Portuguese: orla Portuguese: periferia Russian: бахрома́ Russian: кайма́ Russian: оторо́чка Russian: окаймление Russian: перифери́я Russian: окра́ина Sanskrit: दशा Serbo-Croatian: resa Serbo-Croatian: rojta Serbo-Croatian: kićanka Sicilian: zazza Slovak: strapce Spanish: orla Spanish: periferia Swedish: frans Swedish: utkant Swedish: ytterområde Ottoman Turkish: صاچاق Irish: colbha cathrach Scottish Gaelic: iomall
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