Bridge is a unique word in many ways. A physical bridge connects the two ends of a river or any other water body or any terrain that’s required to be crossed without physical contact, but by having multiple qualities, one can bridge a gap without any physical construct. For example Shakespeare bridged a gap by being a novelist and a poet! But then you also build a non-physical bridge by taking a friendly initiative. For example Prime Minister of India is trying to build a bridge between the warring nations of Russia and Ukraine by initiating a dialogue. And how about a game of contract bridge, a popular card game that needs lot of strategising! And as a banker, I have so many times sanctioned a bridge loan to a customer who’s in need of interim finance pending finalisation of long term financing options! And boxers sometimes prefer to get their nose bridge removed to prevent serious injuries or bleeding during a boxing bout, while a dentist actually puts a bridge inside the mouth to align irregular teeth! And all of us must have heard about bridge in billiards, a nautical bridge in ships, a musical bridge, a chemical bridge between atoms in a molecule et al ! And while you may have very long bridges in the world, the word abridged actually means absolutely the reverse! It means to shorten something ! To end this with a Limerick:
Attempting to explain the meanings
And connotations of the word bridge
I went on and with its various usages
Till I ended up with an epic, requiring to be abridged!
Arvind Arya blog 