forge

noun

\ ˈfȯrj

Definition of forge

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

forge

verb (1)

forged; forging

Definition of forge (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : 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 sense 3)

forge

verb (2)

forged; forging

Definition of forge (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from forge Are "forging ahead" and "forging a check" from the same forge? More Example Sentences Learn More about forge

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Other Words from forge

Verb (1)

forgeability \ ˌfȯr-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

forgeable \ ˈfȯr-jə-bəl

\ adjective

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.

Examples of forge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

After repeating the process several times, the Chalybes pulled sturdy iron weapons from the forge. — Jonathan Schifman, Popular Mechanics, "The Entire History of Steel," 9 July 2018 The fires were especially intense due to an unusually late start to the rainy season, which left vegetation dry as seasonal mountain winds kicked up like bellows in a forge. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "What is going on with California’s horrific fires?," 13 Nov. 2018 On top of that, the kinds of powerful cosmic forges that would generate high-energy cosmic rays also would produce a torrent of high-energy neutrinos. — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "After years of searching, scientists finally trace high-energy neutrinos to a distant blazar," 12 July 2018 Volcanic eruptions were Vulcan hammering at his forge. — Steven Austad, AL.com, "Star gazing in the 21st century," 28 Apr. 2018 Now the apparel maker has released a new line of workwear made from a fabric named after the iron forge that was once used to make pitons, chocks, and wedges. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, "This Patagonia Apron Is Made for Working," 12 Apr. 2018 But the forge, based on Russian designs from the 1980s, is outdated and the country oversupplied. — The Economist, "A compelling look at the flaws in the Chinese economy," 22 Mar. 2018 Ken Kurtz cranks a blower as its gears scream, stoking flames in the blacksmith's forge, the center of the coals reaching more than 2,000 degrees. — Ben Brazil, latimes.com, "Orange County Blacksmith Guild seeks to preserve the old ways," 26 Jan. 2018 The intro class costs $20 and open forge is $15, which covers fuel and power equipment costs. — Ben Brazil, latimes.com, "Orange County Blacksmith Guild seeks to preserve the old ways," 26 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Of course, what truly motivated Johnson’s enemies were principles of justice and morality forged in the crucible of civil war. — Michael Kazin, The New Republic, "The Impossibility of Impeachment," 10 June 2019 The bigger concern was the 3-2 series lead the Rockets forged in the conference finals. — Mark Dufrene, The Mercury News, "A timeline of 10 pulsating Oracle-era Warriors memories," 5 June 2019 There are many more women who have forged major careers in fashion our of their modest blogging days. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "10 Fashion Influencers Who Run Their Own Brands Like a Boss," 3 Jan. 2019 Executives tried to forge or leverage ties with Republican Sen. Richard Burr (NC) and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY). — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Facebook won’t fix itself," 15 Nov. 2018 These donations can take place through fertility clinics, embryo banks, or personal connections forged in person or online. — Elissa Strauss, Glamour, "The Great Frozen Embryo Debate," 11 Oct. 2018 Waymo’s negotiations with automakers haven’t always gone well For example, in 2016, Waymo tried to forge an ambitious deal with Ford. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "GM’s self-driving deal with Honda is a wakeup call for Waymo," 4 Oct. 2018 Trump said his approach in both North Korea and Russia is to try to forge better relations with the United States. — John Wagner, latimes.com, "'Trust me, I'll do just fine,' Trump says about upcoming meeting with Putin," 6 July 2018 State officials are trying to forge ahead with an execution despite a judge’s order last month to release public records that would identify the supplier of its lethal injection drugs. — Washington Post, "Nebraska sets execution date for longest-serving inmate," 5 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Offences relating to counterfeiting; offences against the law relating to forgery or uttering what is forged. — Mary Hui, Quartz, "These are all the crimes Hong Kong is considering extraditing people for under a new law," 7 June 2019 The Lammily doll, launched in 2014, whose body was forged in plastic scaled in accordance with the CDC’s measurements for the average 19-year-old girl, generated lots of acclaim but fewer American dollars; the dolls were retired last year. — Brennan Kilbane, Allure, "Barbie's 60th Birthday Wish Was to Be More Inclusive. Now What?," 2 May 2019 Thus, their friendship was practically forged in gold. — Chioma Nnadi, Vogue, "This Design Duo Is Crafting Heirlooms for a New Generation of Jewelry Obsessives," 1 Apr. 2019 But critics point out that such coalitions were forged when there was a single goal — such as defeating Nazi Germany. — Danica Kirka, The Seattle Times, "Britain faces calls for unity govt amid Brexit impasse," 31 Mar. 2019 Moreover, forging ahead with a vote could help Republicans in the midterms. — Chad Pergram, Fox News, "Kavanaugh is short of votes, but fate hinges on upcoming testimony," 25 Sep. 2018 Nonetheless, forging ahead is often a question of risk tolerance. — Judith Ohikuare, refinery29.com, "Can Black Women Do Good & Get Rich In Big Cannabis?," 22 June 2018 Attackers could also forge keystrokes on a Bluetooth keyboard to open up a command window or malicious website in an outright compromise of the connected phone or computer. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Decade-old Bluetooth flaw lets hackers steal data passing between devices," 26 July 2018 Trump’s disdain for the alliances and organizations the United States helped forge after World War II has unsettled the international order. — Ceylan Yeginsu, BostonGlobe.com, "Big protests greet Trump in Britain," 13 July 2018

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.

History and Etymology for forge

Noun

Middle English, "smith's workshop," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Gallo-Romance *faurga, going back to Latin fabrica "process of making something, craft, workshop" — more at fabric

Verb (1)

Middle English forgen "to form, shape (metal by heat), invent, contrive, counterfeit," borrowed from Anglo-French forger, forgier, going back to Latin fabricāre, fabricārī "to fashion, shape, construct" — more at fabricate

Verb (2)

origin unknown

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