FLEDGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fledge mean? 

• FLEDGE (verb)
  The verb FLEDGE has 3 senses:

1. feed, care for, and rear young birds for flight

2. decorate with feathers

3. grow feathers

  Familiarity information: FLEDGE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FLEDGE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they fledge    ... he / she / it fledges   
Past simple: fledged   
Past participle: fledged   
-ing form: fledging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feed, care for, and rear young birds for flight

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "fledge" is one way to...):

bring up; nurture; parent; raise; rear (look after a child until it is an adult)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Decorate with feathers

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

fledge; flight

Context example:

fledge an arrow

Hypernyms (to "fledge" is one way to...):

adorn; beautify; decorate; embellish; grace; ornament (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Grow feathers

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

feather; fledge

Context example:

The young sparrows are fledging already

Hypernyms (to "fledge" is one way to...):

acquire; develop; get; grow; produce (come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

 Context examples 

Brown dwarfs are intermediate between planets and fully-fledged stars.

(Astronomers Identify Purest, Most Massive Brown Dwarf, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Ha! mon petit, cried the bowman, you take me back to the days when you were new fledged, as sweet a little chick as ever pecked his way out of a monkish egg.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)