name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
brink
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈbɹɪŋk/
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[ˈbɹwɪŋk]
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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/ˈbɹiŋk/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
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[ˈbɹwiŋk] ~ [ˈbɹwɪ̝ŋk] Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
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/ˈbɹæŋk/ without æ-raising
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[ˈbɹwæŋk] without æ-raising
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/ˈbɹeɪ̯ŋk/ æ-raising
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[ˈbɹweɪ̯ŋk] æ-raising
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/ˈbɹɛ̃ŋk/ æ-raising
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[ˈbɹwɛ̃ŋk] æ-raising
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rhymes with -ɪŋk
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CMU ARPABET: B R IH1 NG K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
The edge, margin, or border of a steep place, as of a precipice; a bank or edge.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- the brink of a river
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
The edge or border.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- the brink of success
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
the limit beyond which something happens or changes
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- on the verge of tears
- on the brink of bankruptcy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: verge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: limit, bound, boundary
noun
Meaning 5
the edge of a steep place
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: edge, border
noun
Meaning 6
a region marking a boundary
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: threshold, verge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: boundary, edge, bound
History
Etymology
From Middle English brinke, brenke, from Old Norse *brenka, brekka, from Proto-Germanic *brinkǭ, *brinkaz (“hill, edge (of land)”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhren- (“to project”). Cognate with Dutch brink (“grassland”), regional German Brink, Icelandic brekka (“slope”); also Tocharian B prenke (“island”), Irish braine (“prow”).
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: եզր (ezr) — edge
- Armenian: ծայր (cayr) — edge
- Bulgarian: край (kraj) — edge
- Bulgarian: ръб (rǎb) — edge
- Czech: pokraj — edge
- Czech: hrana — edge
- Czech: okraj — edge
- Danish: kant — edge
- Danish: rand — edge
- Dutch: rand — edge
- Dutch: steile rand — edge
- Finnish: reuna — edge
- Finnish: parras — edge
- French: bord — edge
- French: lisière — edge
- German: Rand — edge
- Ingrian: parras — edge
- Irish: broinne — edge
- Irish: colbha — edge
- Italian: orlo — edge
- Italian: bordo — edge
- Italian: ciglio — edge
- Māori: ripa tauārai — edge
- Portuguese: beira — edge
- Russian: край (kraj) — edge
- Russian: грань (granʹ) — edge
- Scottish Gaelic: oir — edge
- Slovak: pokraj — edge
- Slovak: hrana — edge
- Slovak: okraj — edge
- Slovak: hranica — edge
- Spanish: borde — edge
- Spanish: límite — edge
- Spanish: tope — edge
- Swedish: kant — edge
Real reading context