bridge
    n 1: a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an
         obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc. [syn:
         bridge, span]
    2: a circuit consisting of two branches (4 arms arranged in a
       diamond configuration) across which a meter is connected
       [syn: bridge, bridge circuit]
    3: something resembling a bridge in form or function; "his
       letters provided a bridge across the centuries"
    4: the hard ridge that forms the upper part of the nose; "her
       glasses left marks on the bridge of her nose"
    5: any of various card games based on whist for four players
    6: a wooden support that holds the strings up
    7: a denture anchored to teeth on either side of missing teeth
       [syn: bridge, bridgework]
    8: the link between two lenses; rests on the nose [syn:
       bridge, nosepiece]
    9: an upper deck where a ship is steered and the captain stands
       [syn: bridge, bridge deck]
    v 1: connect or reduce the distance between [syn: bridge,
         bridge over]
    2: make a bridge across; "bridge a river"
    3: cross over on a bridge

Bridge \Bridge\ (br[i^]j), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bridged
   (br[i^]jd); p. pr. & vb. n. Bridging.]
   1. To build a bridge or bridges on or over; as, to bridge a
      river.
      [1913 Webster]

            Their simple engineering bridged with felled trees
            the streams which could not be forded. --Palfrey.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To open or make a passage, as by a bridge.
      [1913 Webster]

            Xerxes . . . over Hellespont
            Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joined. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To find a way of getting over, as a difficulty; --
      generally with over.
      [1913 Webster]

Bridge \Bridge\ (br[i^]j), n. [OE. brig, brigge, brug, brugge,
   AS. brycg, bricg; akin to Fries. bregge, D. brug, OHG.
   brucca, G. br["u]cke, Icel. bryggja pier, bridge, Sw. brygga,
   Dan. brygge, and prob. Icel. br[=u] bridge, Sw. & Dan. bro
   bridge, pavement, and possibly to E. brow.]
   1. A structure, usually of wood, stone, brick, or iron,
      erected over a river or other water course, or over a
      chasm, railroad, etc., to make a passageway from one bank
      to the other.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Anything supported at the ends, which serves to keep some
      other thing from resting upon the object spanned, as in
      engraving, watchmaking, etc., or which forms a platform or
      staging over which something passes or is conveyed.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Mus.) The small arch or bar at right angles to the
      strings of a violin, guitar, etc., serving of raise them
      and transmit their vibrations to the body of the
      instrument.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Elec.) A device to measure the resistance of a wire or
      other conductor forming part of an electric circuit.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a
      furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; -- usually called a
      bridge wall.
      [1913 Webster]

   Aqueduct bridge. See Aqueduct.

   Asses' bridge, Bascule bridge, Bateau bridge. See under
      Ass, Bascule, Bateau.

   Bridge of a steamer (Naut.), a narrow platform across the
      deck, above the rail, for the convenience of the officer
      in charge of the ship; in paddlewheel vessels it connects
      the paddle boxes.

   Bridge of the nose, the upper, bony part of the nose.

   Cantalever bridge. See under Cantalever.

   Draw bridge. See Drawbridge.

   Flying bridge, a temporary bridge suspended or floating, as
      for the passage of armies; also, a floating structure
      connected by a cable with an anchor or pier up stream, and
      made to pass from bank to bank by the action of the
      current or other means.

   Girder bridge or Truss bridge, a bridge formed by
      girders, or by trusses resting upon abutments or piers.

   Lattice bridge, a bridge formed by lattice girders.

   Pontoon bridge, Ponton bridge. See under Pontoon.

   Skew bridge, a bridge built obliquely from bank to bank, as
      sometimes required in railway engineering.

   Suspension bridge. See under Suspension.

   Trestle bridge, a bridge formed of a series of short,
      simple girders resting on trestles.

   Tubular bridge, a bridge in the form of a hollow trunk or
      rectangular tube, with cellular walls made of iron plates
      riveted together, as the Britannia bridge over the Menai
      Strait, and the Victoria bridge at Montreal.

   Wheatstone's bridge (Elec.), a device for the measurement
      of resistances, so called because the balance between the
      resistances to be measured is indicated by the absence of
      a current in a certain wire forming a bridge or connection
      between two points of the apparatus; -- invented by Sir
      Charles Wheatstone.
      [1913 Webster]

Bridge \Bridge\, n.
   A card game resembling whist.

   Note: The trump, if any, is determined by the dealer or his
         partner, the value of each trick taken over six being:
         for "no trumps" 12, hearts 8, diamonds 6, clubs 4,
         spades 2. The opponents of the dealer can, after the
         trump is declared, double the value of the tricks, in
         which case the dealer or his partner can redouble, and
         so on. The dealer plays his partner's hand as a dummy.
         The side which first reaches or exceeds 30 points
         scored for tricks wins a game; the side which first
         wins two games wins a rubber. The total score for any
         side is the sum of the points scored for tricks, for
         rubbers (each of which counts 100), for honors (which
         follow a special schedule of value), and for slam,
         little slam, and chicane.
         [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   Note: For contract bridge, the scoring system has adopted
         different values, with 100 points required for a game.
         The penalties for failing to make a contract also vary
         with the score thus far achieved by the playing team,
         and with the degree, if any, of doubling during the
         auction.
         [PJC]

BRIDGE

   A component of ICES for civil engineers.

   [Sammet 1969, p. 616].

bridge

    A device which forwards traffic between
   network segments based on data link layer information.
   These segments would have a common network layer address.

   Every network should only have one root bridge.

   See also gateway, router.

   (2001-03-04)

BRIDGE. A building constructed over a river, creek, or other stream, or 
ditch or other place, in order to facilitate the passage over the same. 3 
Harr. 108. 
     2. Bridges are of several kinds, public and private. Public bridges may 
be divided into, 1st. Those which belong to the public; as state, county, or 
township bridges, over which all the people have a right to pass, with or 
without paying toll these are built by public authority at the public 
expense, either of the state itself, or a district or part of the state. 
     3. - 2d. Those which have been built by companies, or at the expense of 
private individuals, and over Which all the people have a right to pass, on 
the payment of a toll fixed by law. 3d. Those which have been built by 
private individuals and which have been dedicated to public uses. 2 East, R. 
356; 5 Burr. R. 2594; 2 Bl. R. 685 1 Camp. R. 262, n.; 2 M. & S. 262. 
     4. A private bridge is one erected for the use of one or more private 
persons; such a bridge will not be considered a public bridge, although it 
may be occasionally used by the public. 12 East, R. 203-4. Vide 7 Pick. R. 
844; 11 Pet. R. 539; 7 N. H. Rcp. 59; 1 Pick. R. 432; 4 John. Ch. R. 150.