different between ledge vs sledge

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?d?/
• Rhymes: -?d?
• Hyphenation: ledge

Etymology 1

From Middle English legge; usually considered to be from Middle English leggen, a variant of leyen (“to put, lay (down, waste to)”).

Noun

ledge (plural ledges)

1. A shelf on which articles may be laid; also, that which resembles such a shelf in form or use, as a projecting ridge or part, or a molding or edge in joinery.
2. (geology) A shelf, ridge, or reef, of rocks.
3. A layer or stratum.
4. A lode; a limited mass of rock bearing valuable mineral.
5. (architecture) A (door or window) lintel.
6. (architecture) A cornice.
7. (shipbuilding) A piece of timber to support the deck, placed athwartship between beams.

Translations

Verb

ledge (third-person singular simple present ledges, present participle ledging, simple past and past participle ledged)

1. (uncommon) To cause to have, or to develop, a ledge (during mining, canal construction, building, etc).
   • 1993, Proceedings, page 87:

     [...] preparation must not remove excess dentine from the canal, and care must be taken not to ledge the canal walls.

   • 2009, Mahmoud Torabinejad, Richard E. Walton, Endodontics: Principles and Practice, Elsevier Health Sciences (?ISBN), page 330:

     Length Longer canals are more prone to ledging than shorter canals. Careful attention to maintaining patency is required to prevent ledging.

     Initial Size Smaller-diameter canals are more easily ledged than larger-diameter canals. In summary ...

Etymology 2

Shortening of legend.

Alternative forms

• leg

Noun

ledge (plural ledges)

1. (slang) A lege; a legend.
   • [1], [2], [3]

Etymology 3

Shortening of legislature.

Noun

ledge (plural ledges)

1. (Canada, slang) A provincial or territorial legislature building.
   • "Alberta Legislature," Explore Edmonton [4]:

     Known to Edmontonians as "the Ledge", the Alberta Legislature Building is a marvel of marble pillars, carved oak, beautiful Beaux-Arts architecture and stunning grounds.

2. (Canada, slang) A provincial or territorial legislative assembly.

Anagrams

• degel, edgel, glede, gleed, leged

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sl?d?/
• Rhymes: -?d?

Etymology 1

From Middle English slegge, from Old English sle?? (“sledgehammer; mallet”), from Proto-Germanic *slagj?. Cognate with Dutch slegge (“sledge”), Swedish slägga (“sledge”), Norwegian Bokmål slegge (“sledge”), Norwegian Nynorsk sleggje (“sledge”), Icelandic sleggja (“sledge”), German Schlägel.

Noun

sledge (plural sledges)

1. A heavy, long handled maul or hammer used to drive stakes, wedges, etc.
   • 1737, J. Ray, "A Collection of English Words Not Generally Used, With their Significations and Original in two Alphabetical Catalogues; the one, of such as are proper to the Northern, the other, to the Southern Counties. With an Account of the preparing and refining such Metals and Minerals as are found in England."

     [based on information from Major Hill, Master of the Silver Mills, in 1662, descibing silver mining in Cardiganshire] They dig the Oar thus; One holds a little Picque, or Punch of Iron, having a long Handle of Wood which they call a Gad; Another with a great Iron Hammer, or Sledge, drives it into the Vein.

Synonyms

• (long handled maul or hammer): forehammer, sledgehammer

Translations

Verb

sledge (third-person singular simple present sledges, present participle sledging, simple past and past participle sledged)

1. to hit with a sledgehammer.
   • 1842, John O'Donovan, The Banquet of Dun Na N-Gedh and The Battle of Magh Rath: An Ancient and Historical Tale

     The rapid and violent exertion of smiths, mightily sledging the glowing iron masses of their furnaces.

   • 2005, Langdon W Moore, Langdon W. Moore: His Own Story of His Eventful Life

     When I inquired the reason of this wire being used in the construction of the safe, I was told it was to prevent the doors being broken by either sledging or wedging.

Etymology 2

Dialectal Dutch sleedse, from Middle Dutch sleedse, from the root of sled.

Noun

sledge (plural sledges)

1. A low sled drawn by animals, typically on snow, ice or grass.

2. (Britain) any type of sled or sleigh.
   • 1708, F. C. [possibly F. Conyers], Compleat Collier: Or, The Whole Art of Sinking, Getting, and Working, Coal-mines about Sunderland and New-Castle

     Aged wore out Coal-Horses, which after some time Wrought you will have, may serve turn for Sledge-Horses.

   • 1716, Myles Davies, Athenae Britannicae: Or, A Critical History of the Oxford and Cambridge Writers And Writings...Part I [the full title stretches for 70 words] reporting a passage in "Nicholas Sanders's Seditious Pamphlet" De Schismate Anglicano, &c (1585)

     Ty'd upon the Sledge, a Papist and a Protestant in front, being two very disparate and antipathetick Companions, was a very ridiculous Science of Cruelty, even worst than Death it self (says he).

   • 2006, Richard Higgins, Peter Brukner, Bryan English (editors), Essential Sports Medicine

     There are also Winter Paralympic Games with Alpine and Nordic events, as well as sledge hockey - a form of ice hockey using a seated sledge.
3. A card game resembling all fours and seven-up; old sledge.

Derived terms

• dog sledge

Translations

Verb

sledge (third-person singular simple present sledges, present participle sledging, simple past and past participle sledged)

1. To drag or draw a sledge.
   • 1860, Sherard Osborn, The career, last voyage and fate of ... Sir John Franklin

     It should be remembered, that these explorations were nearly all made by our seamen and officers on foot, dragging sledges, on which were piled tents, provision, fuel for cooking, and raiment. This sledging was brought to perfection by Captain M'Clintock.
2. To ride, travel with or transport in a sledge.
   • 1860, John Timbs, School-days of Eminent Men: I. Sketches of the Progress of Education in England, from the Reign of King Alfred

     When "the great fen or moor" which washed the city walls on the north was frozen over, sliding, sledging, and skating were the sports of crowds.

   • 2006, Godfrey (EDT) Baldacchino, Extreme Tourism: Lessons from the World's Cold Water Islands

     Some of these may be closely associated with the day-to-day lifestyle of such communities — marine activities (fishing, wildlife viewing), mountain activities (abseiling, climbing, hunting) or winter sports (dog sledging).

See also

• sled
• sleigh
• toboggan

Etymology 3

From Sledge (“a surname”), influenced by sledgehammer. Australian from 1960s.
According to Ian Chappell, originated in Adelaide during the 1963/4 or 1964/5 Sheffield Shield season. A cricketer who swore in the presence of a woman was taken to be as subtle as a sledgehammer (meaning unsubtle) and was called “Percy” or “Sledge”, from singer Percy Sledge (whose song When a Man Loves a Woman was a hit at the time). Directing insults or obscenities at the opposition team then became known as sledging.

Verb

sledge (third-person singular simple present sledges, present participle sledging, simple past and past participle sledged)

1. (chiefly cricket, Australia) To verbally insult or abuse an opponent in order to distract them (considered unsportsmanlike).
   • 1998, Larry Elliott, Daniel E Atkinson, The Age of Insecurity

     Batteries of fast bowlers softened batsmen up with short-pitched bowling, while fielders tried to disturb their concentration with a running commentary of insults commonly known as sledging.

   • 2004, Dhanjoo N. Ghista, Socio-Economic Democracy and the World Government: Collective Capitalism, Depovertization, Human Rights, Template for Sustainable Peace

     Then, all these...government legislators...would be able to totally concentrate on their roles and functions, without being entangled in interparty sledging and squabbles.

   • 2013 November 6, Marina Hyde, "Whatever Shane Warne says, the Ashes sledgers need to raise their game", The Guardian

     "Bloody hell even their sledging is now shite!!!" he sledged.

Noun

sledge (plural sledges)

1. (chiefly cricket, Australia) An instance of sledging.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• edgels, gledes, gleeds, ledges