fledge

[flej]

verb (used with object), fledged, fledg·ing.

to bring up (a young bird) until it is able to fly.
to furnish with or as if with feathers or plumage.
to provide (an arrow) with feathers.

verb (used without object), fledged, fledg·ing.

(of a young bird) to acquire the feathers necessary for flight.

adjective

Archaic. (of young birds) able to fly.

Origin of fledge

1350–1400; Middle English flegge (fully-)fledged, Old English *flecge, as variant of -flycge; cognate with Old High German flucki, Middle Low German vlügge (> German flügge); akin to fly¹

Related formsfledge·less, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for fledge

Historical Examples of fledge

I again took it up, and he continued, 'James, Byron hits the mark where I don't even pretend to fledge my arrow.'
Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume V (of 10)
John Gibson Lockhart
The Emperor of France is said to be interested in the art of flying and to have given money to fledge some inventions.
Scientific American, Vol.22, No. 1, January 1, 1870
Various
And look here, Fledge, why do William's toes turn out at such a fearful angle?
The Halo
Bettina von Hutten
But will and means, In mortals, for the cause ye well discern, With unlike wings are fledge.
The Vision of Paradise, Complete
Dante Alighieri
At that tyme my cat got a fledge yong sparrow which had onely a right wyng naturally.
The Private Diary of Dr. John Dee
John Dee

British Dictionary definitions for fledge

fledge

verb

(tr) to feed and care for (a young bird) until it is able to fly
Also called: fletch (tr) to fit (something, esp an arrow) with a feather or feathers
(intr) (of a young bird) to grow feathers
(tr) to cover or adorn with or as if with feathers

Word Origin for fledge

Old English -flycge, as in unflycge unfledged; related to Old High German flucki able to fly; see fly 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for fledge

Old English *-flycge (Kentish -flecge),an adjective meaning "having the feathers, fit to fly," from West Germanic *fluggja- (cf. Middle Dutch vlugge, Low German flügge), from root meaning "to fly" (see fly (v.)). As a verb, it is first attested in English 1560s. Related: Fledged; fledging.