Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Fringe

Fringe (frĭnj), n. [OF, fringe, F. frange, prob. fr. L. fimbria fiber, thread, fringe, cf. fibra fiber, E. fiber, fimbriate.] 1. 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.

2. Something resembling in any respect a fringe; a line of objects along a border or edge; a border; an edging; a margin; a confine.

The confines of grace and the fringes of repentance. Jer. Taylor.

3. (Opt.) One of a number of light or dark bands, produced by the interference of light; a diffraction band; — called also interference fringe.

4. (Bot.) The peristome or fringelike appendage of the capsules of most mosses. See Peristome.

Fringe tree (Bot.), a small tree (Chionanthus Virginica), growing in the Southern United States, and having snow-white flowers, with long pendulous petals.

Fringe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fringed; p. pr. & vb. a. Fringing.] To adorn the edge of with a fringe or as with a fringe.

Precipices fringed with grass. Bryant.

Fringing reef. See Coral reefs, under Coral.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.