• (RP) IPA: /fɔːd͡ʒ/
• (America) IPA: /fɔɹd͡ʒ/
• (rhotic, non-horse-hoarse) IPA: /fo(ː)ɹd͡ʒ/
• (non-rhotic, non-horse-hoarse) IPA: /foəd͡ʒ/

From Middle English forge, from Old French forge, early Old French faverge, from Latin fabrica, from faber ("workman in hard materials, smith") (genitive fabri).

forge (plural forges)

1. A furnace or hearth where metals are heated prior to hammering them into shape.
2. A workshop in which metals are shaped by heating and hammering them.

   Synonyms: smithy, smithery

3. The act of beating or working iron or steel.
   • 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC ↗:

     In the greater bodies the forge was easy.

4. (computing) A Web-based collaborative platform for developing and sharing software.
   • 2018, V. M. Brasseur, Forge Your Future with Open Source:

     If the project uses a forge like GitLab, GitHub, or BitBucket, it can be very easy to search all past commit logs […]

• French: forge
• German: Schmiedeofen, Esse, Schmiedefeuer
• Italian: forgia
• Portuguese: frágua, forja
• Russian: горн
• Spanish: fragua, forja

• French: forge
• German: Schmiede
• Italian: fucina
• Portuguese: forja
• Russian: ку́зница
• Spanish: fragua, forja

From Middle English forgen, from Anglo-Norman forger and Old French forgier, from Latin fabrico.

forge (forges, present participle forging; simple past and past participle forged)

1. (metallurgy) To shape a metal by heating and hammering.
   • c. 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:

     On Mars's armor forged for proof eterne

   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC ↗:

     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.

2. To form or create with concerted effort.

   The politician's recent actions are an effort to forge a relationship with undecided voters.

   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC ↗:

     Those names that the schools forged, and put into the mouth of scholars, could never get admittance into common use.

   • 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC ↗, pages 45–46 ↗:

     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.

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.
   • 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 ↗:

     That paltry story is untrue, / And forged to cheat such gulls as you.

• French: forger
• German: schmieden, warmformen, formen, ausschmieden
• Italian: forgiare, formare
• Portuguese: forjar
• Russian: кова́ть
• Spanish: forjar

• French: falsifier, contrefaire
• German: fälschen, klittern
• Italian: falsificare
• Portuguese: forjar
• Russian: подде́лывать
• Spanish: falsificar

Make way, move ahead, most likely an alteration of force, but perhaps from forge (n.), via notion of steady hammering at something.

forge (forges, present participle forging; simple past and past participle forged)

1. (often as forge ahead) To move forward heavily and slowly (originally as a ship); to advance gradually but steadily; to proceed towards a goal in the face of resistance or difficulty.

   The party of explorers forged through the thick underbrush.

   We decided to forge ahead with our plans even though our biggest underwriter backed out.

2. (sometimes as forge ahead) To advance, move or act with an abrupt increase in speed or energy.

   With seconds left in the race, the runner forged into first place.

• German: sich Bahn brechen, vorankämpfen, drängen, vorandrängen, vordrängen, vorwärts kommen, vorankommen, vorwärtskommen, nach vorn drängen, vorwärtskämpfen, vorkämpfen, vorwärts kämpfen

From Old French forge, a surname for someone who lived near or worked in a forge or smithy.

1. Surname.