Illustration of bridge
- 1 beam
- 2 truss
- 3 arch
- 4 suspension
- 5 cable-stayed
1
a
: a structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression or obstacle (such as a river)
a bridge connecting the island to the mainland
b
: a time, place, or means of connection or transition
building a bridge between the two cultures
the bridge from war to peace
2
: something resembling a bridge in form or function: such as
a
: the upper bony part of the nose
broke the bridge of his nose
also
: the part of a pair of glasses that rests upon it
b
music
: a piece raising the strings of a musical instrument see violin illustration
c
nautical
: the forward part of a ship's superstructure (see superstructure sense 2b) from which the ship is navigated
d
railroads
: gantry sense 2b
e
3
a
music
: a passage linking two sections of a composition
b
dentistry
: a partial denture anchored to adjacent teeth
c
chemistry
: a connection (such as an atom or group of atoms) that joins two different parts of a molecule (such as opposite sides of a ring)
4
physics
: an electrical instrument or network for measuring or comparing resistances (see resistance entry 1 sense 4a), inductances, capacitances, or impedances by comparing the ratio of two opposing voltages to a known ratio
bridged; bridging
1
: to make a bridge (see bridge entry 1) over or across
bridging a river
bridge the divisions between the two groups
bridge the generation gap
also
: to join by a bridge
2
: to provide with a bridge
small bridged streams
card games
: any of various card games for usually four players in two partnerships that bid for the right to declare a trump suit, seek to win tricks (see trick entry 1 sense 4) equal to the final bid, and play with the hand of declarer 's partner exposed and played by declarer
especially
: contract bridge
Examples of bridge in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Located 45 minutes from Porto, this riverside town is known for its arched stone bridge, vineyard views, and more of that Portuguese slow living so many people are after.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Rae — who also stars in campaign imagery for Beyond Yoga's new Outdoor product line, which bridges that gap between true activewear and athleisure for every day — tells PEOPLE exclusively that the partnership couldn't have come at a better time.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bridge
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The bridge, an iconic symbol of the city, offers excellent views of the skyline, July 4 fireworks and river traffic below.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Located 45 minutes from Porto, this riverside town is known for its arched stone bridge, vineyard views, and more of that Portuguese slow living so many people are after.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
Verb
Elektra Health was founded to bridge the glaring gap in women's health care, as well as the general lack of access.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Rae — who also stars in campaign imagery for Beyond Yoga's new Outdoor product line, which bridges that gap between true activewear and athleisure for every day — tells PEOPLE exclusively that the partnership couldn't have come at a better time.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bridge
Cite this Entry
“Bridge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridge. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bridge
1 of 3 noun1
: a structure built over something (as a river or a railroad) so people can cross
2
: a platform above and across the deck of a ship for the captain or officer in charge
3
a
: something resembling a bridge (as the upper part of the nose)
b
: music that connects the sections of a song or composition
4
: a curved piece that raises the strings of a musical instrument
5
: an artificial replacement for one or more teeth that is fastened to the remaining nearby teeth
bridge
2 of 3 verb
bridged; bridging
: to make a bridge over or across
bridge a gap
bridge
3 of 3 noun
: a card game for four players in two teams
Etymology
Noun
Old English brycg "bridge"
Noun
origin unknown
Medical Definition
bridge
noun1
a
: the upper bony part of the nose
b
: the curved part of a pair of glasses that rests upon this part of the nose
2
a
: pons
b
: a strand of protoplasm extending between two cells
c
: a partial denture held in place by anchorage to adjacent teeth
d
: a connection (as an atom or group of atoms) that joins two different parts of a molecule (as opposite sides of a ring)
e
: an area of physical continuity between two chromatids persisting during the later phases of mitosis and constituting a possible source of somatic genetic change
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share