noun
brink
BRINK/brɪŋk/
The very edge of a steep drop.
The grassy path ends at the brink of a sheer cliff.
Etymology
An “edge” marks the limit before a steep drop, giving a natural image for a critical point just before change. The ancestor may be Middle Low German brink or a related Scandinavian word.
In context
teetering on the brink of extinction we could now bolster its numbers with seeds from here
More examples
- Stay well back from the brink of the quarry.
- The company stood on the brink of bankruptcy.
- Their discovery brought medicine to the brink of a new era.
Forms
brink · brinks
brinkmanship noun — Pursuing an advantage by pushing a dangerous situation to its limit.
Similar words
- edge
- Any outer boundary, brink often suggests a steep drop or imminent change.