get a word in edgewise
Syllables: get a word in edge·wise/ˌɡɛt ə ˈwɜːd ɪn ˈɛdʒwaɪz/US/ˌɡɛt ə ˈwɝd ɪn ˈɛdʒwaɪz/
get a word in edgewise verb: to break into or participate in a conversation, especially where there is much interruption by other speakers.
Verb
get a word in edgewise (third-person singular simple present gets a word in edgewise, present participle getting a word in edgewise, simple past got a word in edgewise, past participle (UK) got a word in edgewise or (US) gotten a word in edgewise)
- To break into or participate in a conversation, especially where there is much interruption by other speakers.
- Everyone was talking at once. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
- The converſation at breakfaſt began on reading, which ſhe ſaid ſhe was extremely fond of, and Joſeph, her ladyſhip, and my papa, fell into ſuch a deep diſcourſe, that I verily thought they would never have finiſhed; for, believe me, I was quite out of patience, as neither mama nor I, could ſo much...[1778 December, “[Original Letters. Miss Clifford to Miss Granby.] In Continuation.”, in The Lady’s Magazine; or, Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex, Appropriated Solely to Their Use and...
get a word in edgewise meaning in Vietnamese
get a word in edgewise in Vietnamese
- to break into or participate in a conversation
- nói chen vào
Forms of get a word in edgewise
| third-person singular present | gets a word in edgewise |
|---|---|
| present participle | getting a word in edgewise |
| past | got a word in edgewise |
| past participle UK | got a word in edgewise |
| past participle US | gotten a word in edgewise |
| alternative form | get a word in edgeways |
Origin of get a word in edgewise
The use of the word edgewise or edgeways (“with the edge facing in the direction of movement”) is metaphorical, suggesting that the gap or opportunity for a person to speak is very slim.
Questions about get a word in edgewise
- What does get a word in edgewise mean?
- Get a word in edgewise means to break into or participate in a conversation, especially where there is much interruption by other speakers.
- What is get a word in edgewise in Vietnamese?
- Get a word in edgewise in Vietnamese is nói chen vào. See Get a word in edgewise meaning in Vietnamese.
- What part of speech is get a word in edgewise?
- Get a word in edgewise is a verb.
- How do you pronounce get a word in edgewise?
- Get a word in edgewise is pronounced /ˌɡɛt ə ˈwɜːd ɪn ˈɛdʒwaɪz/ (UK).
- What is the past tense of get a word in edgewise?
- The past tense of get a word in edgewise is got a word in edgewise.
Words near get a word in edgewise in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: get a word in edgewise (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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