forge
pronunciation
How to pronounce forge in British English:
UK [fɔːdʒ]
How to pronounce forge in American English:
US [fɔːrdʒ]
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- Noun:
- furnace consisting of a special hearth where metal is heated before shaping
- a workplace where metal is worked by heating and hammering
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- Verb:
- create by hammering
- make a copy of with the intent to deceive
- come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or priciple) after a mental effort
- move ahead steadily
- move or act with a sudden increase in speed or energy
- make something, usually for a specific function
- make out of components (often in an improvising manner)
Word Origin
- forge
- forge: Forge ‘make’ [13] and forge ahead [17] are two quite distinct and unrelated words in English. The former’s now common connotation of ‘faking’ is in fact a purely English development (dating from the late 14th century) in a word whose relatives in other languages (such as French forger) mean simply ‘make – especially by working heated metal’. It comes via Old French forger from Latin fabricāre ‘make’ (source also of English fabricate, which has similarly dubious connotations).The related noun forge goes back to Latin fabrica (whence also English fabric), amongst whose specialized senses was ‘blacksmith’s workshop’. Forge ‘move powerfully’, as in forge ahead, may be an alteration of force.=> fabric
- forge (n.)
- late 14c., "a smithy," from Old French forge "forge, smithy" (12c.), earlier faverge, from Latin fabrica "workshop, smith's shop," hence also "a trade, an industry;" also "a skillful production, a crafty device," from faber (genitive fabri) "workman in hard materials, smith" (see fabric). As the heating apparatus itself (a furnace fitted with a bellows), from late 15c. Forge-water (1725), in which heated iron has been dipped, was used popularly as a medicine in 18c.
- forge (v.2)
- 1769 (with an apparent isolated use from 1610s), "make way, move ahead," of unknown origin, perhaps an alteration of force (v.), but perhaps rather from forge (n.), via notion of steady hammering at something. Originally nautical, in reference to vessels.
- forge (v.1)
- early 14c., "to counterfeit" (a letter, document, etc.), from Old French forgier "to forge, work (metal); shape, fashion; build, construct; falsify" (12c., Modern French forger), from Latin fabricari "to frame, construct, build," from fabrica "workshop" (see forge (n.)). Meaning "to counterfeit" (a letter, document, or other writing) is from early 14c.; literal meaning "to form (something) by heating in a forge and hammering" is from late 14c. in English, also used in Middle English of the minting of coins, so that it once meant "issue good money" but came to mean "issue spurious (paper) money." Related: Forged; forging.
Example
- 1. It is trying to forge post-american globalisation .
- 2. They need to connect emotionally and forge a strong brand position .
- 3. The plan had been to forge a canadian-style federal country from a far-flung archipelago .
- 4. He may also find it hard to forge a different relationship between the bank and the new donors .
- 5. Kenyans hope that a fiercely fought election will forge a truer democracy , not cause more bloodshed .