forge

play

noun \ ˈfȯrj \

Definition of forge

1 :a furnace or a shop with its furnace where metal is heated and wrought :smithy

2 :a workshop where wrought iron is produced or where iron is made malleable

See forge defined for English-language learners

See forge defined for kids

Recent Examples of forge from the Web

But, hey, Team Stark-garyen has a few dragons lying around who might be able to light up a forge for Gendry.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones: This Tiny Detail Could Be the Real Reason Gendry’s Back," 13 Aug. 2017
But, hey, Team Stark-garyen has a few dragons lying around who might be able to light up a forge for Gendry.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: This Tiny Detail Could Be the Real Reason Gendry’s Back," 13 Aug. 2017
Forge is developing a new kind of antibiotic that so far seems to be effective against gram-negative bacteria.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Funding success stirs interest in antibiotic developer Forge Therapeutics," 28 June 2017
Vulcan combines the Bronze Age worship of forge and sword with modern fealty to guns and state power.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "American Gods may be the best show about religion on TV," 21 June 2017
In a busy Wall Street restaurant, a master chef and an immigrant forge a singular bond.

— Philly.com, "Theater: New and Noteworthy," 11 June 2017
Like the sparks that fly upward from the forge, struck to a brief moment of incandescence by the force of the blow, are the individuals whose troubles and fates furnish the daily business of a draft office.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Terror and Twitter," 5 June 2017
Its frequent eruptions and eerie, glowing lava flows inspired the ancient Greek myths that that terrible monster Typhon was raging beneath the volcano, and that the fire-god Hephaestus ran his forges inside.

— ken jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, "Sicily's Mount Etna Is the World's Only Decipoint," 5 June 2017
But as Elyse Harney, Ms. Morris’s mother, tells it, the industry eventually ran out of charcoal to fire its forges and furnaces, and water power from the town’s lakes wasn’t sufficient.

— jack kadden, New York Times, "Salisbury, Conn.: An Antidote for Cabin Fever," 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Are "forging ahead" and "forging a check" from the same forge?

There are many things you can do with the word forge in English. You can forge ahead (which, confusingly enough, can mean either "move slowly and steadily" or "move with a sudden increase of speed"), you can forge a check or a painting (make something fake), or you can forge a sword (make something real). The senses that relate to creating something (either real or fake) come from the same Latin word that gives us fabric, which is fabricare ("to fashion, construct"). We are not certain where the “movement” senses of forge come from, except insofar as we know that they are from a different origin than the “creation” senses of the word.

Origin and Etymology of forge

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fabrica, from fabr-, faber smith

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Other Metals and Metallurgy Terms

assay, bloom, bullion, ductile, ingot, malleable, patina, plate, temper, tensile

forge

verb

Definition of forge

forged; forging

transitive verb

1 a :to form (something, such as metal) by heating and hammering

forged pieces of iron into hooks

b :to form (metal) by a mechanical or hydraulic press with or without heat

2 :to make or imitate falsely especially with intent to defraud :counterfeit

forge a document

forge a signature

3 :to form or bring into being especially by an expenditure of effort

working to forge party unity

The two countries forged a strong alliance.

intransitive verb

1 :to work at a forge

2 :to commit forgery (see forgery 3)

—

forgeability

play \ˌfȯr-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

—

forgeable

play \ˈfȯr-jə-bəl\ adjective

Recent Examples of forge from the Web

Republican tax negotiators aimed to spend August forging agreement on a sweeping rewrite of the code.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump speech will bash rigged system. But tax outline would benefit 1 percent.," 30 Aug. 2017
That spirit of innovation is what will forge tomorrow’s next best thing; there are so many things that have yet to be invented.

— miamiherald, "The future’s not ours to see, but this is how CEOs prepare for it," 30 Aug. 2017
After 12- and 8-yard runs on Elmwood Park's first possession of the half, Rama punched in the ball from a yard out to forge a 6-6 tie.

— jakub rudnik, chicagotribune.com, "Olsi Rama does it all as Elmwood Park opens the season with a win," 26 Aug. 2017
His drug binges continued, funded through stolen money and forged checks.

— beth warren, The Courier-Journal, "‘I was scared to get sober': He dealt heroin, now he's been clean six years," 24 Aug. 2017
Managers, meanwhile, have more freedom to decide what to make, how much to pay their workers and how to forge profitable partnerships.

— Bloomberg.com, "The Real Revolution in North Korea Is the Rise of Consumer Culture," 18 Aug. 2017
Schubert birdied two of the first five holes, forged a 4-up lead through the morning 18, and Valenzuela couldn’t get her putter working enough to keep up in in Schubert’s eventual 6-and-5 victory.

— tod leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Schubert routs Valenzuela to capture U.S.Women's Amateur," 13 Aug. 2017
Those coaches who resist the pressure to forge relationships with grade-school athletes do so at the risk of losing them to rival schools.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Can a 9-year-old be an NCAA Division I college football prospect?," 27 July 2017
Macron’s initiative comes after abortive attempts by Italy, the former colonizing power, to forge a peace. ‘

— tarek el-tablawy, Bloomberg.com, "Macron’s ‘Photo Op’ Unlikely to Cement Elusive Libya Peace," 26 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of forge

see ¹forge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

forge

verb

Definition of forge

forged; forging

intransitive verb

1 :to move forward slowly and steadily

the ship forged ahead through heavy seas

2 :to move with a sudden increase of speed and power

forged into the lead

forged ahead in marketing the product

Recent Examples of forge from the Web

Republican tax negotiators aimed to spend August forging agreement on a sweeping rewrite of the code.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump speech will bash rigged system. But tax outline would benefit 1 percent.," 30 Aug. 2017
That spirit of innovation is what will forge tomorrow’s next best thing; there are so many things that have yet to be invented.

— miamiherald, "The future’s not ours to see, but this is how CEOs prepare for it," 30 Aug. 2017
After 12- and 8-yard runs on Elmwood Park's first possession of the half, Rama punched in the ball from a yard out to forge a 6-6 tie.

— jakub rudnik, chicagotribune.com, "Olsi Rama does it all as Elmwood Park opens the season with a win," 26 Aug. 2017
His drug binges continued, funded through stolen money and forged checks.

— beth warren, The Courier-Journal, "‘I was scared to get sober': He dealt heroin, now he's been clean six years," 24 Aug. 2017
Managers, meanwhile, have more freedom to decide what to make, how much to pay their workers and how to forge profitable partnerships.

— Bloomberg.com, "The Real Revolution in North Korea Is the Rise of Consumer Culture," 18 Aug. 2017
Schubert birdied two of the first five holes, forged a 4-up lead through the morning 18, and Valenzuela couldn’t get her putter working enough to keep up in in Schubert’s eventual 6-and-5 victory.

— tod leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Schubert routs Valenzuela to capture U.S.Women's Amateur," 13 Aug. 2017
Those coaches who resist the pressure to forge relationships with grade-school athletes do so at the risk of losing them to rival schools.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Can a 9-year-old be an NCAA Division I college football prospect?," 27 July 2017
Macron’s initiative comes after abortive attempts by Italy, the former colonizing power, to forge a peace. ‘

— tarek el-tablawy, Bloomberg.com, "Macron’s ‘Photo Op’ Unlikely to Cement Elusive Libya Peace," 26 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of forge

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1611

See Words from the same year

FORGE Defined for English Language Learners

forge

play

noun

Definition of forge for English Language Learners

: a place where objects are made by heating and shaping metal

FORGE Defined for Kids

forge

play

verb \ ˈfȯrj \

Definition of forge for Students

forged; forging

1 :to shape and work metal by heating and hammering

2 :to bring into existence

forging friendships

3 :to produce something that is not genuine :counterfeit

The check was forged.

—

forger

noun

forge

noun

Definition of forge for Students

:a place where objects are made by heating and shaping metal

forge

verb

Definition of forge for Students

forged; forging

:to move forward slowly but steadily

We forged through the storm.

Medical Dictionary

forge

play

intransitive verb \ ˈfō(ə)rj, ˈfȯ(ə)rj \

medical Definition of forge

forged; forging

of a horse

:to make a clicking noise by overreaching so that a hind shoe hits a fore shoe

Law Dictionary

forge

verb

legal Definition of forge

forged; forging

transitive verb

:to make, alter, or imitate (as a writing) falsely with intent to defraud :counterfeit

intransitive verb

:to commit forgery

—

forger

noun

Learn More about forge

See words that rhyme with forge Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for forge Spanish Central: Translation of forge Nglish: Translation of forge for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of forge for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about forge

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up forge? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

forge

Definition of forge

Explore M-W

Recent Examples of forge from the Web

Are "forging ahead" and "forging a check" from the same forge?

Origin and Etymology of forge

Other Metals and Metallurgy Terms

forge

Definition of forge

forgeability

forgeable

Recent Examples of forge from the Web

Origin and Etymology of forge

forge

Definition of forge

Recent Examples of forge from the Web

Origin and Etymology of forge

FORGE Defined for English Language Learners

forge

Definition of forge for English Language Learners

FORGE Defined for Kids

forge

Definition of forge for Students

forger

forge

Definition of forge for Students

forge

Definition of forge for Students

Medical Dictionary

forge

medical Definition of forge

Law Dictionary

forge

legal Definition of forge

forger

Learn More about forge

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

Words of the Year: 1066