ridge

[rij]

noun

1. a long, narrow elevation of land; a chain of hills or mountains.

2. the long and narrow upper edge, angle, or crest of something, as a hill, wave, or vault.

3. the back of an animal.

4. any raised, narrow strip, as on cloth.

5. the horizontal line in which the tops of the rafters of a roof meet.

6. (on a weather chart) a narrow, elongated area of high pressure.

verb (used with object)

ridged, ridging 

1. to provide with or form into a ridge or ridges.

2. to mark with or as if with ridges.

verb (used without object)

ridged, ridging 

1. to form ridges.

ridge

/ rɪdʒ /

noun

1. a long narrow raised land formation with sloping sides esp one formed by the meeting of two faces of a mountain or of a mountain buttress or spur

2. any long narrow raised strip or elevation, as on a fabric or in ploughed land

3. anatomy any elongated raised margin or border on a bone, tooth, tissue membrane, etc

4. 1. the top of a roof at the junction of two sloping sides

   2. ( as modifier )

      a ridge tile

5. the back or backbone of an animal, esp a whale

6. meteorol an elongated area of high pressure, esp an extension of an anticyclone Compare trough

verb

1. to form into a ridge or ridges

ridge

1. A long narrow chain of hills or mountains.

2. See mid-ocean ridge

3. A narrow, elongated zone of relatively high atmospheric pressure associated with an area of peak anticyclonic circulation.

4. Compare trough

Other Word Forms

• ridgy adjective
• ridgelike adjective
• unridged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ridge¹

before 900; Middle English rigge (noun), Old English hrycg spine, crest, ridge; cognate with Dutch rug, German Rücken, Old Norse hryggr

Word History and Origins

Origin of ridge¹

Old English hrycg ; related to Old High German hrucki , Old Norse hryggr

Example Sentences

The inquiry at Fort William Sheriff Court heard evidence from members of Scotland's climbing community about conditions on the mountain ridge.

From BBC

This week high pressure will shift to the north-west of the UK, south of Iceland, and by Friday it will extend a ridge across the UK bringing us settled and mostly dry weather.

From BBC

"Fear is natural," Brahim had told me, looking up at the ridge where tarpaulin flapped at the settlers' lookout post in front of a few caravans and makeshift homes.

From BBC

On Friday night, a firefighter suffered major injuries when their truck rolled over a ridge and down a steel hillside, CBS, the BBC's US media partner, reported.

From BBC

Between them, low in the sky, is a diamond-shaped object, a ridge along its middle.

From BBC

Related Words

• hill 
• rim