fudge

[ fuhj ]

/ fʌdʒ /

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noun

a soft candy made of sugar, butter, milk, chocolate, and sometimes nuts.

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Origin of fudge

An Americanism dating to 1895–1900; of uncertain origin; the word was early in its history associated with female college campuses, where fudge-making was popular; however, attempts to explain it as a derivative of fudge² (preparing the candy supposedly being an excuse to “fudge” on dormitory rules) are dubious and probably after-the-fact speculation

Other definitions for fudge (2 of 3)

fudge²

[ fuhj ]

/ fʌdʒ /

verb (used without object), fudged, fudg·ing.

to cheat (often followed by on): How many of you have fudged on your taxes?

to fail to fulfill an obligation: For a variety of reasons, they had fudged on their promise.

to avoid coming to grips with a subject, issue, etc.: He fudged on the matter of whether he would retire at the end of his three-year term.

to tamper with or misrepresent something, as to produce a desired result or allow leeway for error: Some of the men and women fudged on their ages.

verb (used with object), fudged, fudg·ing.

to avoid coming to grips with (a subject, issue, etc.); evade; dodge: He fudged a few of the direct questions.

to tamper with or misrepresent: The suggestion is that they simply fudged the figures to make sales look more impressive.

noun Printing.

a small stereotype or a few lines of specially prepared type, bearing a newspaper bulletin, for replacing a detachable part of a page plate without the need to replate the entire page.

the bulletin thus printed, often in color.

a machine or attachment for printing such a bulletin.

Origin of fudge

First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain; in earliest sense, “to contrive clumsily,” perhaps expressive variant of fadge “to fit, agree, do” (akin to Middle English feien, Old English fēgan “to fit together, join, bind”); fudge¹ and fudge³ are developments of this word or are independent coinages

Other definitions for fudge (3 of 3)

fudge³

[ fuhj ]

/ fʌdʒ /

noun

nonsense or foolishness (often used as an interjection).

verb (used without object), fudged, fudg·ing.

to talk nonsense.

Origin of fudge

First recorded in 1690–1700; of uncertain origin; cf. fudge²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use fudge in a sentence

For instance, there are several words that have a silent D, like bridge, fudge, handkerchief, lodge, and sandwich.
Solution to Evan Birnholz’s Nov. 29 Post Magazine crossword, “I Didn’t Hear That”|Evan Birnholz|November 29, 2020|Washington Post
There was no such fudging when the War Department finally released the film, in 1945.
WWII Lies of Hollywood's Greats|Caryn James|February 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And more than a few colleges have been caught fudging the data to improve their rankings.
How to Reinvent College Rankings: Show the Data Students Need Most|Steve Cohen|March 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We should expect it, and some light fudging of the facts can be necessary, to a degree, for a film like this to work.
Real Pilots Laugh at ‘Flight’|Patrick Smith|November 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Again, the scam depends on inside information and fudging self-reported numbers.
Bank-Bonus Culture to Blame for Barclays Scandal|Alex Klein|July 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Michael Medved says the Dems are fudging the numbers to justify their soak-the-wealthy approach.
The Democrats' Big Tax Lie|Michael Medved|July 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is true, it wants well-considered and definitely drawn design, and there is no possible fudging with it.
Art in Needlework|Lewis F. Day
While the Jackies coal ship all hands are doing there part and there is no fudging going on.
The Voyage of the Oregon from San Francisco to Santiago in 1898|R. Cross
The system of fudging tasks, cribbing lessons, deception of every sort they endeavoured to overthrow.
Ernest Bracebridge|William H. G. Kingston
"You've been fudging around till you've got about ten million more hairs wound up," he grumbled.
Good Indian|B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for fudge (1 of 3)

fudge¹

/ (fʌdʒ) /

noun

a soft variously flavoured sweet made from sugar, butter, cream, etc

Word Origin for fudge

C19: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for fudge (2 of 3)

fudge²

/ (fʌdʒ) /

noun

foolishness; nonsense

interjection

a mild exclamation of annoyance

verb

(intr) to talk foolishly or emptily

Word Origin for fudge

C18: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for fudge (3 of 3)

fudge³

/ (fʌdʒ) /

noun

a small section of type matter in a box in a newspaper allowing late news to be included without the whole page having to be remade

the box in which such type matter is placed

the late news so inserted

a machine attached to a newspaper press for printing this

an unsatisfactory compromise reached to evade a difficult problem or controversial issue

verb

(tr) to make or adjust in a false or clumsy way

(tr) to misrepresent; falsify

to evade (a problem, issue, etc); dodge; avoid

Word Origin for fudge

C19: see fadge

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

fudge

Origin of fudge

Other definitions for fudge (2 of 3)

Origin of fudge

Other definitions for fudge (3 of 3)

Origin of fudge

Words related to fudge

How to use fudge in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fudge (1 of 3)

Word Origin for fudge

British Dictionary definitions for fudge (2 of 3)

Word Origin for fudge

British Dictionary definitions for fudge (3 of 3)

Word Origin for fudge