fledge

verb

ˈflej How to pronounce fledge (audio)
fledged; fledging

intransitive verb

of a young bird : to acquire the feathers necessary for flight or independent activity
also : to leave the nest after acquiring such feathers

transitive verb

1
: to rear until ready for flight or independent activity
2
: to cover with or as if with feathers or down
3
: to furnish (something) with feathers
fledge an arrow

Examples of fledge in a Sentence

The young birds haven't yet fledged.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This nesting season, the pair raised eaglets Sandy and Luna, who successfully fledged. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Sandy and Luna fledged the nest in June and took flight for the first time at the beginning of June. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 July 2026 After fledging, Sandy and Luna may pop up on the nest cameras from time to time since they are expected to keep to Big Bear Valley for a bit. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 2026 Hutch wasn't far behind Maz, who fledged on Monday, and Sid, who fledged on June 19. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fledge

Word History

Etymology

fledge capable of flying, from Middle English flegge, from Old English -flycge; akin to Old High German flucki capable of flying, Old English flēogan to fly — more at fly

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of fledge was in 1566

Rhymes for fledge

See All Rhymes for fledge

Browse Nearby Words

flector
fledge
fledgeless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fledge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fledge. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

fledge

verb
ˈflej How to pronounce fledge (audio)
fledged; fledging
1
: to develop the feathers necessary for flying
also : to leave the nest after developing such feathers
2
: to provide with feathers
fledge an arrow

More from Merriam-Webster on fledge

Nglish: Translation of fledge for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All