pledge
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English plege, from Anglo-Norman plege, from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) from Medieval Latin plevium, plebium, from plebiō (“I pledge”), from Frankish *plehan (“to pledge; to support; to guarantee”). Akin to Old High German pflegan (“to take care of, be accustomed to”), Old Saxon plegan (“to vouch for”), Old English plēon (“to risk, endanger”). More at plight.
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]pledge (third-person singular simple present pledges, present participle pledging, simple past and past participle pledged)
- To make a solemn promise (to do something).
- pledge allegiance to the flag
- To deposit something as a security; to pawn.
- (transitive) To give assurance of friendship by the act of drinking; to drink to one's health.
- 1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer:
- HARDCASTLE [Taking the cup.] I hope you'll find it to your mind. I have prepared it with my own hands, and I believe you'll own the ingredients are tolerable. Will you be so good as to pledge me, sir? Here, Mr. Marlow, here is to our better acquaintance. [Drinks.]
- 1852, Matthew Arnold, Tristram and Iseult:
- Reach me my golden cup that stands by thee,
And pledge me in it first for courtesy.
Translations
[edit]to make a solemn promise
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to deposit something as a security; to pawn
|
to drink
Noun
[edit]pledge (plural pledges)
- A solemn promise to do something.
- Synonym: commitment
- 2021 April 22, Brad Plumer, Nadja Popovich, “The U.S. Has a New Climate Goal. How Does It Stack Up Globally?”, in The New York Times[1], →ISSN:
- Mr. Biden unveiled the pledge at a White House climate summit for world leaders, declaring that the United States is ready to reclaim a leadership role on climate change.
- An asset or person temporarily handed over to guarantee the fulfilment of something promised, under threat of permanent loss of the thing handed over; surety, security, hostage.
- 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], Act I:
- Iacke Straw. […] I haue his wife and children pledges, for his ſpeedie returne from the King, to whom he is gone with our meſſage.
Tom Miller. Let him take heede hee bring a wiſe anſwere to our worships, or els his pledges goes to the pot.
- (law) A bailment of personal property to secure payment of a debt without transfer of title.
- The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid.
- Synonym: collateral
- The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid.
- (university slang) A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but is not yet formally approved.
- A drinking toast.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]solemn promise
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delivery of personal property to secure the payment of a debt
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person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a fraternity
drinking toast
promise to abstain from drinking alcohol
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See also
[edit]Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
- English terms derived from Frankish
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɛd͡ʒ
- Rhymes:English/ɛd͡ʒ/1 syllable
- English lemmas
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- English transitive verbs
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- English nouns
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