margin

margin

1. Commerce the profit on a transaction

2. Economics the minimum return below which an enterprise becomes unprofitable

margin

[′mär·jən]

(geography)

The boundary around a body of water.

(graphic arts)

The blank area at the vertical and horizontal edges of a printed page.

(science and technology)

An outside limit.

margin

1. The exposed flat surface of the stiles and rails which form the framing around a panel.

2. The projecting surface above the stair nosings in a close string.

3. The mitered border around a hearth.

4. The exposed surface of a slate or tile which is not covered by the one above.

margin

A blank row at the extreme top and bottom or a blank column at the extreme left and right sides of a sheet of paper or on-screen window. Margins are used for design purposes as well as to accommodate printers that cannot print to the very edge of the paper. See margin guide and gutter.