ledge

ledge — noun

1. a strip of stone, wood, or other hard material that projects outward from a clif

1.nounB1
Definition

a strip of stone, wood, or other hard material that projects outward from a cliff face or the side of a building, forming a narrow platform

Example

Two climbers rested on a narrow ledge halfway up the cliff.

collocation: narrow ledge

The gardener placed flowerpots on the window ledge outside the flat.

collocation: window ledge

Common collocations
  • narrow ledge
  • window ledge
  • rocky ledge
  • stone ledge
  • cliff ledge
Synonyms
  • shelf

    a more general word for any flat, level surface used for storage; less specific than ledge

  • ridge

    a long, narrow top of something, especially a mountain or hill; not necessarily flat

Grammar Patterns

a + ~

on/from + a + ~

Usage Note

Can refer to a natural rock formation on a cliff or mountain, as well as a man-made shelf on a building wall or below a window.

Word family

  • ledges
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Ledge, shelf, and ridge all refer to narrow, flat surfaces, but they differ in context. A ledge is specifically a projection from a vertical surface — either natural (a cliff ledge) or man-made (a window ledge). A shelf is almost always man-made and used for storing or displaying items; it is typically inside a room or on a wall. A ridge is a long, narrow top of a mountain, hill, or other raised formation; it suggests a crest or top edge rather than a protruding shelf. For example: 'She placed books on the wooden shelf in her study.' and 'The hikers walked along the mountain ridge at sunrise.'

ledge ↗shelf ↗ridge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cliff ledge
  • window ledge
  • rock ledge
  • mountain ledge

Prepositions

  • on a ledge
  • from a ledge
  • off a ledge
  • over a ledge

Etymology

GermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word ledge comes from Middle English legge, which probably developed from an early Germanic root meaning 'edge' or 'rim'. It has been used since the 1300s to describe a narrow projection on a wall or cliff.