brink

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The point just before something important or dangerous happens.

   The two countries were on the brink of war.

2. 2
   noun

   The edge of a steep or high place.

   She stood on the brink of the cliff and looked down at the sea.

From Middle English brinke, brenke, from Old Norse *brenka, brekka, from Proto-Germanic *brinkǭ, *brinkaz (“hill, edge (of land)”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰren- (“to project”). Cognate with Dutch brink (“grassland”), regional German Brink, Icelandic brekka (“slope”); also Tocharian B prenke (“island”), Irish braine (“prow”).

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