Dictionary

fledge en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /flɛd͡ʒ/

Etymology

From Middle English flegge, fligge, flygge, from Old English *flyċġe (“able to fly, fledged”) (attested in *unflyċġe, unfligge (“unfledged”)), from Proto-West Germanic *flugi, from Proto-Germanic *flugjaz (“able to fly, fledged”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Dutch vlug (“fledged, able to fly, nimble, swift”), Low German flügg (“fledged”), German flügge, German flücke (“fledged”), Icelandic fleygur (“able to fly, fledged”)

Meanings

1. (archaic, not-comparable) Feathered; furnished with feathers or wings; able to fly.
   • his shoulders, fledge with wings 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

Forms

fledge en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /flɛd͡ʒ/

Etymology

From Middle English flegge, fligge, flygge, from Old English *flyċġe (“able to fly, fledged”) (attested in *unflyċġe, unfligge (“unfledged”)), from Proto-West Germanic *flugi, from Proto-Germanic *flugjaz (“able to fly, fledged”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Dutch vlug (“fledged, able to fly, nimble, swift”), Low German flügg (“fledged”), German flügge, German flücke (“fledged”), Icelandic fleygur (“able to fly, fledged”)

Meanings

1. (transitive) To care for a young bird until it is capable of flight.
2. (intransitive) To grow, cover or be covered with feathers.
3. (transitive) To decorate with feathers.
4. (intransitive) To complete the last moult and become a winged adult insect.

Forms

Deriveds

unfledged · fledgling · fledgy · postfledging · fledgeless · full-fledged

Relateds

fletch · fligger · fletcher