forge
verbEtymology From Middle English forgen, from Anglo-Norman forger and Old French forgier, from Latin fabrico (“to frame, construct, build”). Doublet of fabricate.
1
Arts, Crafts, Engineering, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Metallurgy, Metalworking, Natural sciences, Physical sciences To shape a metal by heating and hammering.
- On Mars's armor forged for proof eternec. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 451:
- Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.[…]. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
2
To form or create with concerted effort.
- The politician's recent actions are an effort to forge a relationship with undecided voters.
- Those names that the schools forged, and put into the mouth of scholars, could never get admittance into common use.1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
2 more examples
- O purblind race of miserable men, / How many among us at this very hour / Do forge a life-long trouble for ourselves. / By taking true for false, or false for true.1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 45–46:
- In The Last Guardian, a kidnapped boy forges an uneasy relationship with a frightening beast in order to survive.2019 May 8, Jon Bailes, “Save yourself! The video games casting us as helpless children”, in The Guardian:
3
To create a forgery of; to make a counterfeit item of; to copy or imitate unlawfully.
- He had to forge his ex-wife's signature. The jury learned the documents had been forged.
4
To make falsely; to produce, as that which is untrue or not genuine; to fabricate.
- That paltry story is untrue, / And forged to cheat such gulls as you.1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:
- Derived terms
- forgeability, forgeable, forge over, forgery, misforge, reforge