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fledge Definition

fledge (flej)

intransitive verb fledged, fledg·ing

to grow the feathers necessary for flying

Etymology: < ME flegge, ready to fly < OE (un)flycge, (un)fledged, akin to MHG vlücke, MDu vlugghe: for IE base see fly

transitive verb

  1. to rear (a young bird) until it is able to fly
  2. to supply or adorn with or as if with feathers or down; specif., to fit (an arrow, etc.) with feathers

fledge Usage Examples

Object

  • chick: The parent birds are normally in attendance to the fledged chicks at all times.
  • brood: Poland: a frequent breeding bird in Krakow, with several fledged broods seen in the city center, common at Warty NP.
  • juvenile: Six sites were occupied by pairs where no nests were found or fledged juveniles observed.
  • youngster: A feature of today has been the aggression shown toward the four newly fledged youngsters by two adult birds.
  • democracy: Five years later, it was a full fledged democracy.
  • bird: Before long we've also picked out three recently fledged juvenile birds.

Present participle complement

bring: The Little Terns continue to have some success, four more chicks have fledged bringing the total to eight.

Adjective complement

  • juvenile: A sixth fatality involved a newly fledged juvenile which was found grounded unable to fly.
  • young: The total of 165 fledged young was nine fewer than the amended figure for 1998.

Modifying Another Word

  • fully: Then the vouchers would become fully fledged shares, traded on the stock market.
  • newly: A sixth fatality involved a newly fledged juvenile which was found grounded unable to fly.
  • successfully: Apart from the first year all the chicks that have been brought to Rutland Water have fledged successfully.
  • recently: There were also some recently fledged juvenile Ravens on the island.
  • already: There was also some doubt as to whether the young birds were in the nest or already fledged and sitting some distance away.
  • now: The now fledged chicks have to undertake the first migration on their own.

Preposition: from

nest: Near Corby, west of the A6003, six juveniles fledged from two nests.

Browse dictionary entries near fledge

  1. fled
  2. flection
  3. flecked
  4. fleck
  5. fleawort
  6. fleapit
  7. fleam
  8. fleahopper
  9. fleabite
  10. fleabane
  1. fledgling
  2. flee
  3. fleece
  4. fleecy
  5. fleer
  6. fleet
  7. fleet admiral
  8. Fleet Street
  9. fleeting
  10. fleetness