---
title: brink — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «brink» in the school dictionary: The edge of a cliff, a steep place or water. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# brink

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** point, tiger, two countries, We, She, Scientists · **What happens:** be, happen, stand, win, cry, step · **To what, where:** brink, cup, himself

<!-- .vabout -->
«brink» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 7 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [brink in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/brink.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The edge of a cliff, a steep place or water.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:m1:1
# text = The edge of a cliff, a steep place or water.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	edge	edge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	cliff	cliff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	steep	steep	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The point where something very good or very bad is about to happen: on the brink of war, on the brink of a discovery.

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:m2:1
# text = The point where something very good or very bad is about to happen: on the brink of war, on the brink of a discovery.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	point	point	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
3	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	6	advmod	_	_
4	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	6	nsubj	_	_
5	very	very	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	nmod	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	very	very	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	conj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	about	about	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	17	punct	_	_
15	on	on	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	parataxis	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
21	on	on	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	_
24	of	of	ADP	IN	_	26	case	_	_
25	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	26	det	_	_
26	discovery	discovery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the point  good |  |  |  |  | about *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **happen** | to-infinitive | the point  good *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The tiger is on the brink of extinction.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:x1:1
# text = The tiger is on the brink of extinction.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	tiger	tiger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	extinction	extinction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the tiger |  |  | the brink |  | of extinction | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The two countries were on the brink of war.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:x2:1
# text = The two countries were on the brink of war.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	nummod	_	_
3	countries	country	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
4	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	war	war	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the two countries |  |  | the brink |  | of war | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We stood at the brink of the cliff.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:x3:1
# text = We stood at the brink of the cliff.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	stood	stand	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	cliff	cliff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stand** | past | We |  |  | the brink of the cliff |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent at brink=Location |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She was on the brink of tears.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:x4:1
# text = She was on the brink of tears.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	tears	tear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | She |  |  | the brink |  | of tears | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Scientists are on the brink of a great discovery.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:x5:1
# text = Scientists are on the brink of a great discovery.
1	Scientists	scientist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	discovery	discovery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Scientists |  |  | the brink |  | of a great discovery | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The team was on the brink of winning the cup.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:x6:1
# text = The team was on the brink of winning the cup.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	winning	win	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	cup	cup	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the team |  |  | the brink |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **win** | gerund | the brink *not said here* | the cup |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cup=Eventuality |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Crying thus to himself, Iktomi stepped to the water's brink.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:brink:x7:1
# text = Crying thus to himself, Iktomi stepped to the water's brink.
1	Crying	cry	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	advcl	_	_
2	thus	thus	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	himself	himself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
6	Iktomi	Iktomi	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	stepped	step	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	's	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	brink	brink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cry** *speech: express* | gerund | Iktomi *not said here* |  | himself *= he* |  |  | thus *property* | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient»: agent=Agent to himself=Recipient |
| 2 | **step** | past | Iktomi |  |  | the water's brink |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme to brink=Destination |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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