ledge

noun

ˈlej 

1

: a raised or projecting edge or molding intended to protect or check

a window ledge

2

: an underwater ridge or reef especially near the shore

3

a

: a narrow flat surface or shelf

especially : one that projects from a wall of rock

We rappelled down the cliff and reached the ledge.

b

: rock that is solid or continuous enough to form ledges : bedrock

the field was full of ledge

4

: lode, vein

ledgy

ˈle-jē 

adjective

Examples of ledge in a Sentence

birds perched on the ledge of a building

a ledge on the side of the mountain

Recent Examples on the Web

But the cat got about 2 feet from the lizard, jumped up on a little ledge and walked away. —Hannah Farrow, Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2024

The cast moved in loose, unpredictable ways, sitting on the window ledges instead of on the chairs. —Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, 15 June 2024

All devices stay on a ledge between the kitchen and living room. —Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 5 June 2024

Camera flashes, welcome bashes Get the matches, toss the ashes off the ledge Swift, Healy, and their chaperone Jack Antonoff were spotted at the members-only in New York, Casa Cipriani. —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English legge bar of a gate

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ledge

noun

ˈlej 

1

: a projecting ridge or raised edge along a surface

2

: an underwater ridge or reef especially near the shore

3

: a narrow flat surface or shelf

especially : one that sticks out from a wall of rock