the outside boundary or surface of something
"The fringe of snow covered the edge of the cliff where they stood."
one of the light or dark bands produced by the interference and diffraction of light
"The fringe pattern on the screen clearly showed alternating bright and dark bands caused by the diffraction of laser light."
a social group holding marginal or extreme views
"members of the fringe believe we should be armed with guns at all times"
an ornamental border consisting of short lengths of hanging threads or tassels
"The bride wore a white dress adorned with a fringe along the hemline."
A decorative border.
"She carefully stitched colorful beads along the fringe of her wedding dress."
To decorate with fringe.
"The tailor decided to trim the edge of the curtain with a thick red fringe."
Outside the mainstream.
"The band played their music at underground venues, earning a reputation as a fringe act in the rock scene."
The word fringe entered Middle English via the Old French frenge, which came from a Vulgar Latin form derived from the classical Latin plural fimbriae meaning "fibers" or "threads." This borrowing eventually replaced native Germanic words for the same concept in the English language.