Adjacent Words

Margin definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

M`ARGIN, n. [L. margo.]
1. A border; edge; brink; verge; as the margin of a river or lake.
2. The edge of the leaf or page of a book, left blank or filled with notes.
3. The edge of a wound.
4. In botany, the edge of a leaf.
M`ARGIN, v.t. To furnish with a margin; to border.
1. To enter in the margin.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary [syn: margin, border, perimeter]
2: an amount beyond the minimum necessary; "the margin of victory"
3: the amount of collateral a customer deposits with a broker when borrowing from the broker to buy securities [syn: margin, security deposit]
4: (finance) the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold [syn: gross profit, gross profit margin, margin]
5: the blank space that surrounds the text on a page; "he jotted a note in the margin"
6: a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits [syn: allowance, leeway, margin, tolerance]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin margin-, margo border — more at mark Date: 14th century 1. the part of a page or sheet outside the main body of printed or written matter 2. the outside limit and adjoining surface of something ; edge <at the margin of the woods> <continental margin> 3. a. a spare amount or measure or degree allowed or given for contingencies or special situations <left no margin for error> b. (1) a bare minimum below which or an extreme limit beyond which something becomes impossible or is no longer desirable <on the margin of good taste> (2) the limit below which economic activity cannot be continued under normal conditions c. an area, state, or condition excluded from or existing outside the mainstream <the margins of critical discourse — Barbara L. Packer> <living in society's margins> 4. a. the difference which exists between net sales and the cost of merchandise sold and from which expenses are usually met or profit derived b. the excess market value of collateral over the face of a loan c. (1) cash or collateral that is deposited by a client with a commodity or securities broker to protect the broker from loss on a contract (2) the client's equity in securities bought with the aid of credit obtained specifically (as from a broker) for that purpose d. a range about a specified figure within which a purchase is to be made 5. measure or degree of difference <the bill passed by a one-vote margin> • margined adjective II. transitive verb Date: 1715 1. a. to provide with an edging or border b. to form a margin to ; border 2. a. to add margin to <margin up an account> b. (1) to use as margin <margin bonds to buy stock> (2) to provide margin for <margin a transaction> c. to buy (securities) on margin

U.S. Military Dictionary

(*) In cartography, the area of a map or chart lying outside the border.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 the edge or border of a surface. 2 a the blank border on each side of the print on a page etc. b a line ruled esp. on exercise paper, marking off a margin. 3 an amount (of time, money, etc.) by which a thing exceeds, falls short, etc. (won by a narrow margin; a margin of profit). 4 the lower limit of possibility, success, etc. (his effort fell below the margin). 5 Austral. an increment to a basic wage, paid for skill. 6 a sum deposited with a stockbroker to cover the risk of loss on a transaction on account. --v.tr. (margined, margining) provide with a margin or marginal notes. Phrases and idioms: margin of error a usu. small difference allowed for miscalculation, change of circumstances, etc. margin release a device on a typewriter allowing a word to be typed beyond the margin normally set. Etymology: ME f. L margo -ginis

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Margin Mar"gin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Margined; p. pr. & vb. n. Marginging.] 1. To furnish with a margin. 2. To enter in the margin of a page.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Margin Mar"gin, n. [OE. margine, margent, L. margo, ginis. Cf. March a border, Marge.] 1. A border; edge; brink; verge; as, the margin of a river or lake. 2. Specifically: The part of a page at the edge left uncovered in writing or printing. 3. (Com.) The difference between the cost and the selling price of an article. 4. Something allowed, or reserved, for that which can not be foreseen or known with certainty. 5. (Brokerage) Collateral security deposited with a broker to secure him from loss on contracts entered into by him on behalf of his principial, as in the speculative buying and selling of stocks, wheat, etc. --N. Biddle. Margin draft (Masonry), a smooth cut margin on the face of hammer-dressed ashlar, adjacent to the joints. Margin of a course (Arch.), that part of a course, as of slates or shingles, which is not covered by the course immediately above it. See 2d Gauge. Syn: Border; brink; verge; brim; rim.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(margins) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A margin is the difference between two amounts, especially the difference in the number of votes or points between the winner and the loser in an election or other contest. They could end up with a 50-point winning margin... The Sunday Times remains the brand leader by a huge margin... N-COUNT: with supp 2. The margin of a written or printed page is the empty space at the side of the page. She added her comments in the margin. N-COUNT 3. If there is a margin for something in a situation, there is some freedom to choose what to do or decide how to do it. The money is collected in a straightforward way with little margin for error... N-VAR: with supp 4. The margin of a place or area is the extreme edge of it. ...the low coastal plain along the western margin... = edge, periphery N-COUNT: with supp 5. To be on the margins of a society, group, or activity means to be among the least typical or least important parts of it. Students have played an important role in the past, but for the moment, they're on the margins. N-PLURAL: with supp 6. see also profit margin

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Border, edge, rim, brim, verge, brink, confine, limit, skirt.

Moby Thesaurus

abut, adjoin, aesthetic distance, air space, allowance, ample scope, balance, bank, befringe, bind, blank check, board, bonus, border, bordure, bound, boundary line, bounds, brim, brink, brow, caesura, carte blanche, caution, caution money, clearance, coast, collateral, collateral security, compass, connect, deep space, delicacy, delicate distinction, deposit, depths of space, differentia, differential, discontinuity, distance, distance between, distinction, divergence, dividend, double space, edge, elbowroom, em space, en space, enframe, exhaust price, extent, extra, farness, featheredge, field, fine point, flange, forfeit, frame, free course, free hand, free play, free scope, freeboard, freedom, fringe, frontier, full scope, full swing, gratuity, hair space, hairline, half space, headroom, hem, hiatus, infinity, interim, intermediate space, interruption, interspace, interstice, interval, join, jump, labellum, labium, labrum, lacuna, lagniappe, lap, latitude, leap, ledge, leeway, leftover, length, light-years, limb, limbus, limits, line, lip, list, long rope, maneuvering space, march, marge, marginate, mileage, minimum, narrow margin, neighbor, nice distinction, nicety, no holds barred, nuance, open space, outline, overage, overmeasure, overplus, overrun, overset, overstock, oversupply, parsecs, particle of difference, perimeter, periphery, perspective, piece, play, plus, point of difference, pourboire, purfle, purl, ragged edge, range, reach, refinement, remainder, remoteness, rim, room, room to spare, rope, scope, sea room, selvage, separation, set off, shade of difference, shoestring margin, shore, side, sideline, single space, skirt, something extra, space, space between, span, spare, spare room, stake, stretch, stride, subtle distinction, subtlety, surplus, surplusage, surround, swing, thin margin, time interval, tip, tolerance, touch, trim, trimming, verge, way, ways, wide berth, wide margin