noun

1. a piece of hard material, as wood or metal, tapering from a thick back to a thin edge that can be driven or forced into a narrow opening, as to split wood, lift a weight, or reinforce a structure
2. anything shaped like a wedge or having a wedge-shaped part [a wedge of pie]; specif.,
   1. a wedge-shaped stroke in cuneiform writing
   2. a wedge-shaped tactical formation, as of troops
   3. Golf an iron with a specially weighted head and the face angled to give the most loft, as for shots out of bunkers
3. any action or procedure that serves to open the way for a gradual change, disruption, intrusion, etc.

Etymology: ME wegge < OE wecg, akin to Ger dial. weck < IE *wogwhyo-, wedge, akin to *wogwhni-s, plowshare > L vomis, OHG waganso

transitive verb wedged, wedging wedg′·ing

1. to split or force apart with or as with a wedge
2. to fix solidly in place by driving a wedge or wedges under, beside, etc.
3. to force or pack (in)
4. to force or crowd together in a narrow space

intransitive verb