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Added 9 October 2026

fledge

/flɛd͡ʒ/ verb

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about fledge at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Feed, care for, and rear young birds for flight.
Decorate with feathers.
fledge an arrow
Grow feathers.
The young sparrows are fledging already

Origin

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”)

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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