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fledge

[ flej ]
/ flɛdʒ /

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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM fledge

fledgeless, adjective

Words nearby fledge

fleck, Flecker, flection, fled, Fledermaus, Die, fledge, fledged, fledgling, fledgy, flee, fleece
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for fledge

British Dictionary definitions for fledge

fledge
/ (flɛdʒ) /

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