An ornamental appendage to the border of a piece of stuff, originally consisting of the ends of the warp, projecting beyond the woven fabric; but more commonly made separate and sewed on, consisting sometimes of projecting ends, twisted or plaited together, and sometimes of loose threads of wool, silk, or linen, or narrow strips of leather, or the like. [1913 Webster]
Something resembling in any respect a fringe; a line of objects along a border or edge; a border; an edging; a margin; a confine. [1913 Webster]
"The confines of grace and the fringes of repentance." [1913 Webster]
One of a number of light or dark bands, produced by the interference of light; a diffraction band; -- called also interference fringe. [1913 Webster]
The peristome or fringelike appendage of the capsules of most mosses. See Peristome. [1913 Webster]

fringe, v. t.

To adorn the edge of with a fringe or as with a fringe. [1913 Webster]

"Precipices fringed with grass." [1913 Webster]

Fringing reef. See Coral reefs, under Coral.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

fringe, n. & v.
--n.
1 a an ornamental bordering of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists. b such a bordering made separately. c any border or edging.
2 a a portion of the front hair hanging over the forehead. b a natural border of hair etc. in an animal or plant.
3 an outer edge or margin; the outer limit of an area, population, etc. (often attrib. : fringe theatre).
4 a thing, part, or area of secondary or minor importance.
5 a a band of contrasting brightness or darkness produced by diffraction or interference of light. b a strip of false colour in an optical image.
6 US a fringe benefit.
--v.tr.
1 adorn or encircle with a fringe.
2 serve as a fringe to.

Idiom

fringe benefit an employee's benefit supplementing a money wage or salary. fringe medicine systems of treatment of disease etc. not regarded as orthodox by the medical profession. fringing reef a coral reef that fringes the shore.

Derivative

fringeless adj. fringy adj.

Etymology

ME & OF frenge ult. f. LL fimbria (earlier only in pl.) fibres, fringe

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THESAURUS

fringe

adjoin, apparent, bang, bangs, bank, beading, befringe, bind, binding, board, border, bordering, bordure, bound, boundary, bounds, brim, brink, brow, circumference, coast, cortex, cortical, covering, crust, decoration, define, edge, edging, enframe, envelope, epidermic, epidermis, exomorphic, exterior, external, extrinsic, facade, face, facet, featheredge, fetlock, fimbria, fimbriation, flange, fleck, flock, flounce, forelock, frame, frill, frilling, front, furbelow, galloon, hem, integument, labellum, labium, labrum, lap, ledge, limb, limbus, limits, line, lineaments, lip, list, march, marches, marge, margin, marginate, motif, open, ornament, out, outer, outer face, outer layer, outer side, outer skin, outermost, outline, outlying, outmost, outside, outskirts, outstanding, outward, outward-facing, perimeter, peripheral, periphery, public, purfle, purl, quiff, ragged edge, rickrack, rim, rind, roundabout, ruche, ruff, ruffle, seeming, selvage, set off, shell, shore, side, sideline, skin, skirt, skirting, superficial, superficies, superstratum, surface, surround, top, trim, trimming, tuft, valance, verge, welt

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ROGET THESAURUS

fringe

Ornament

N ornament, floridness c, adj, turgidity, turgescence, altiloquence, declamation, teratology, well-rounded periods, elegance, orotundity, inversion, antithesis, alliteration, paronomasia, figurativeness, flourish, flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric, frills of style, euphuism, euphemism, big-sounding words, high-sounding words, macrology, sesquipedalia verba, Alexandrine, inflation, pretension, rant, bombast, fustian, prose run mad, fine writing, sesquipedality, Minerva press, phrasemonger, euphuist, euphemist, ornament, beautified, ornate, florid, rich, flowery, euphuistic, euphemistic, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, inflated, swelling, tumid, turgid, turgescent, pedantic, pompous, stilted, orotund, high flown, high flowing, sententious, rhetorical, declamatory, grandiose, grandiloquent, magniloquent, altiloquent, sesquipedal, sesquipedalian, Johnsonian, mouthy, bombastic, fustian, frothy, flashy, flaming, antithetical, alliterative, figurative, artificial, ore rutundo, ornament, ornamentation, ornamental art, ornature, ornateness, adornment, decoration, embellishment, architecture, jewelry, garnish, polish, varnish, French polish, veneer, japanning, lacquer, gilding, plating, ormolu, enamel, cloisonn_e, cosmetics (in general), makeup, eye shadow, rouge, face powder, lipstick, blush, pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, graining, pargeting, detail, repousse (convexity), texture, richness, tracery, molding, fillet, listel, strapwork, coquillage, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, anthemion, egg and tongue, egg and dart, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, cartouche, pilaster, bead, beading, champleve ware, cloisonne ware, frost work, Moresque, Morisco, tooling, embroidery, brocade, brocatelle, galloon, lace, fringe, trapping, border, edging, trimming, hanging, tapestry, arras, millinery, ermine, drap d'or, wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, bouquet, posy, daisies pied and violets blue, tassel knot, shoulder knot, apaulette, epaulet, aigulet, frog, star, rosette, bow, feather, plume, pompom, panache, aigrette, finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, pinchbeck, paste, excess of ornament, gaud, pride, illustration, illumination, vignette, fleuron, head piece, tail piece, cul-de-lampe, flowers of rhetoric, work of art, ornamented, beautified, ornate, rich, gilt, begilt, tesselated, festooned, champleve, cloisonne, topiary, smart, gay, trickly, flowery, glittering, new gilt, new spangled, fine as a Mayday queen, fine as a fivepence, fine as a carrot fresh scraped, pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, in full dress, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, dressed to advantage, in Sunday best, en grand tenue, en grande toilette, in best bib and tucker, endimanche, showy, flashy, gaudy, garish, gairish, gorgeous, ornamental, decorative, becoming.

Edge

N edge, verge, brink, brow, brim, margin, border, confine, skirt, rim, flange, side, mouth, jaws, chops, chaps, fauces, lip, muzzle, threshold, door, porch, portal, coast, shore, frame, fringe, flounce, frill, list, trimming, edging, skirting, hem, selvedge, welt, furbelow, valance, gimp, border, marginal, skirting, labial, labiated, marginated.

Roughness

N roughness, tooth, grain, texture, ripple, asperity, rugosity, salebrosity, corrugation, nodosity, arborescence, pilosity, brush, hair, beard, shag, mane, whisker, moustache, imperial, tress, lock, curl, ringlet, fimbriae, pili, cilia, villi, lovelock, beaucatcher, curl paper, goatee, papillote, scalp lock, plumage, plumosity, plume, panache, crest, feather, tuft, fringe, toupee, wool, velvet, plush, nap, pile, floss, fur, down, byssus, moss, bur, fluff, knot (convolution), rough, uneven, scabrous, scaly, knotted, rugged, rugose, rugous, knurly, asperous, crisp, salebrous, gnarled, unpolished, unsmooth, roughhewn, craggy, cragged, crankling, scraggy, prickly, arborescent, leafy, well-wooded, feathery, plumose, plumigerous, laciniate, laciniform, laciniose, pappose, pileous, pilose, trichogenous, trichoid, tufted, fimbriated, hairy, ciliated, filamentous, hirsute, crinose, crinite, bushy, hispid, villous, pappous, bearded, pilous, shaggy, shagged, fringed, befringed, setous, setose, setaceous, like quills upon the fretful porcupine, rough as a nutmeg grater, rough as a bear, downy, velvety, flocculent, woolly, lanate, lanated, lanuginous, lanuginose, tomentose, fluffy, against the grain, cabello luengo y corto el seso.

Exaggeration

N exaggeration, expansion, hyperbole, stretch, strain, coloring, high coloring, caricature, caricatura, extravagance, Baron Munchausen, men in buckram, yarn, fringe, embroidery, traveler's tale, fish story, gooseberry, storm in a teacup, much ado about nothing, puff, puffery, rant, figure of speech, facon de parler, stretch of fancy, stretch of the imagination, flight of fancy, false coloring, aggravation, exaggerated, overwrought, bombastic, hyperbolical, on stilts, fabulous, extravagant, preposterous, egregious, outre, highflying, hyperbolically, excitabat enim fluctus in simpulo.

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