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
- to rear (a young bird) until it is able to fly
- 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.

