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to fledge

to fledge

18 8.2
Care for young birds until they can fly
  • verb
  • /flɛdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : criar
  • The bird watchers saw the mother bird fledge her chicks until they were ready to take flight.
  • a full-fledged bird
  • a fully fledged bird
  • become full-fledged

Examples

  • After months of care, the rescue center finally helped the injured hawk fledge successfully.

  • Helping my students grow from kindergarteners into fully fledged readers and writers in just one year is an extraordinary process.

    Academic text (2012)
  • As the young robins continued to fledge, they learned to spread their wings and flap strongly.

Antonyms

773 3.1

Leave someone or something behind permanently and without care

100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

How Much Care

to fledge
  • Specialized
18 8.2
to rear
23 3.4
to raise
1.4
to care for
347 1.0
to tend
174 1.0
to look after
472 1.1

Surface Forms

fledge infinitive
fledged past
fledged past participle
fledging present participle
fledges third person singular

Etymology

Fledge comes from an old idea of 'feather' or 'to grow feathers'. So, when we say people 'fledge' young birds, it means they care for and raise them until the chicks have feathers and can fly.