pledge
Etymology
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Etymology
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.
Pronunciation- IPA: /plɛd͡ʒ/
pledge (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.
- French: promettre
- German: zusichern, versprechen, geloben, zusagen
- Italian: promettere, impegnarsi
- Portuguese: prometer
- Russian: обеща́ть
- Spanish: prometer, comprometerse
- French: mettre en gage
- German: verpfänden
- Portuguese: caucionar
- Russian: отдавать в залог
- Spanish: hipotecar, empeñar, pignorar
pledge (plural pledges)
- A solemn promise to do something.
- Synonyms: commitment
- 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.
- Synonyms: collateral
- The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid.
- (college slang) A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but is not yet formally approved.
- A drinking toast.
- French: serment
- German: Gelöbnis
- Italian: promessa solenne
- Portuguese: promessa
- Russian: обе́т
- Spanish: promesa solemne, compromiso
This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.003
