bridge
Other forms: bridged; bridging
A bridge is what gets you from one side of the river to the other. A bridge connects things. The bridge of your nose connects your nose to your head — it's where the bridge of your eyeglasses rests.
If you insult your boss and quit your job, you've "burned your bridges" — you can’t go back. If you're not going to worry yourself about a possible problem, you can say "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." The vertical piece that holds the strings up on a violin, guitar, or other stringed instrument is also a bridge, and in a song, the bridge is the part between a verse and the chorus — the transition between them.
Definitions of bridge
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a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
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synonyms:
span
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types:
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Bailey bridge
a temporary bridge designed for rapid construction
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cantilever bridge
bridge constructed of two cantilevers that meet in the middle
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cattle grid, cattle guard
a bridge over a ditch consisting of parallel metal bars that allow pedestrians and vehicles to pass, but not cattle
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covered bridge
a bridge whose passageway is protected by a roof and enclosing sides
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drawbridge, lift bridge
a bridge that can be raised to block passage or to allow boats or ships to pass beneath it
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footbridge, overcrossing, pedestrian bridge
a bridge designed for pedestrians
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flyover, overpass
bridge formed by the upper level of a crossing of two highways at different levels
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bateau bridge, floating bridge, pontoon bridge
a temporary bridge built over a series of pontoons
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rope bridge
a bridge consisting of ropes
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steel arch bridge
a steel bridge constructed in the form of an arch
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suspension bridge
a bridge that has a roadway supported by cables that are anchored at both ends
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toll bridge
a bridge where toll is charged for crossing
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trestle bridge
a bridge supported by trestlework
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truss bridge
a bridge supported by trusses
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viaduct
bridge consisting of a series of arches supported by piers used to carry a road (or railroad) over a valley
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gangboard, gangplank, gangway
a temporary bridge for getting on and off a vessel at dockside
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jet bridge
an extendible bridge for loading passengers onto large commercial airplanes; provides protected access to the plane from the gate
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type of:
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construction, structure
a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts
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make a bridge across“bridge a river”
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type of:
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bring together, join
cause to become joined or linked
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bring together, join
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cross over on a bridge
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type of:
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cover, cross, cut across, cut through, get across, get over, pass over, track, traverse
travel across or pass over
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cover, cross, cut across, cut through, get across, get over, pass over, track, traverse
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something resembling a bridge in form or function“his letters provided a bridge across the centuries”
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type of:
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connectedness, connection, connexion
a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
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connectedness, connection, connexion
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a denture anchored to teeth on either side of missing teeth
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synonyms:
bridgework
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type of:
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dental plate, denture, plate
a dental appliance that artificially replaces missing teeth
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dental plate, denture, plate
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the link between two lenses; rests on the nose
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the hard ridge that forms the upper part of the nose“her glasses left marks on the bridge of her nose”
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type of:
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anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure
a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing
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anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure
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an upper deck where a ship is steered and the captain stands
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synonyms:
bridge deck
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types:
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conning tower
a raised bridge on a submarine; often used for entering and exiting
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fly bridge, flybridge, flying bridge, monkey bridge
the highest navigational bridge on a ship; a small (often open) deck above the pilot house
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type of:
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upper deck
a higher deck
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conning tower
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a wooden support that holds the strings up
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type of:
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support
any device that bears the weight of another thing
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support
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a circuit consisting of two branches (4 arms arranged in a diamond configuration) across which a meter is connected
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synonyms:
bridge circuit
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types:
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Wheatstone bridge
a bridge used to measure resistances
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type of:
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circuit, electric circuit, electrical circuit
an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow
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Wheatstone bridge
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connect or reduce the distance between
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synonyms:
bridge over
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any of various card games based on whist for four players
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types:
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bridge whist
the earliest form of bridge; the dealer could name the trump suit
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auction, auction bridge
a variety of bridge in which tricks made in excess of the contract are scored toward game; now generally superseded by contract bridge
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contract, contract bridge
a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid
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no-trump
a version of contract bridge in which no suit is designated as trump for the duration of the hand
Pronunciation
US
/brɪdʒ/
UK
/brɪdʒ/
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