verge

noun

1. A rod or staff of office, e.g. of a verger.
2. (UK, historical)A rod or staff of office, e.g. of a verger.
3. An edge or border.

   “Even though we go to the extreme verge of possibility to invent a supposition favourable to it, the theory[…]implies an absurdity.”

   “But on the horizon's verge descried, Hangs, touched with light, one snowy sail.”

   “It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.”

4. (Australia, New-Zealand, UK, Western)An edge or border.

   “The shoulders are graded and the verges cleared well back to lessen the chances of hitting stray stock.”

5. (figuratively)An edge or border.

   “I was on the verge of tears.”

   “The tremendous tragedy in which he had been involved – it was evident he was a fugitive from Weybridge - had driven him to the very verge of his reason.”

6. (obsolete)The phallus.
7. (obsolete)The phallus.
8. An old measure of land: a virgate or yardland.
9. A circumference; a circle; a ring.

   “The inclusive verge Of golden metal that must round my brow.”

10. The shaft of a column, or a small ornamental shaft.
11. The eaves or edge of the roof that projects over the gable of a roof.

    “The smaller ribs of tiles that run down to the eaves, along the ridges in a hip-roof, or border the verge in a gable-roof , often terminate in some ornamental tile in high-relief .”

12. The spindle of a watch balance, especially one with pallets, as in the old vertical escapement.

verb

1. (intransitive)To be or come very close; to border; to approach.

   “Eating blowfish verges on insanity.”

2. To bend or incline; to tend downward; to slope.

name

1. A surname.