brink

C2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /bɹɪŋk/ See IPA manual

Freq #10768

Meanings

1

noun
The point just before something important or dangerous happens.

The two countries were on the brink of war.
2

noun
The edge of a steep or high place.

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

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the point just before... verge threshold

Word family

Forms brinks

Derived forms brinklessbrinkmanshipbrinkmatebrinksmansea-brink

Etymology

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”).

brinke Middle English *brenka Old Norse *brinkǭ Proto-Germanic *bʰren- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# brink

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /bɹɪŋk/
**Frequency rank:** 10768

## Meanings
1. The point just before something important or dangerous happens.
2. The edge of a steep or high place.

## Examples
- The two countries were on the brink of war.
- She stood on the brink of the cliff and looked down at the sea.

## Derived Forms
- brinkless
- brinkmanship
- brinkmate
- brinksman
- sea-brink

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: brinke
- Root: *brenka
- Root: *brinkǭ
- Root: *bʰren-

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Brink is 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”). Important recorded forms include brinke (Middle English), *brenka (Old Norse), *brinkǭ (Proto-Germanic), and *bʰren- (Proto-Indo-European). Current senses include the point just before something important or dangerous happens and the edge of a steep or high place. The wider family includes derived forms such as brinkless, brinkmanship, brinkmate, brinksman, and sea-brink.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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