different between fletch vs fledge

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French flèche (“an arrow”)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fl?t?/
• Rhymes: -?t?

Noun

fletch (plural fletches)

1. (archery) The vane toward the back of an arrow, used to stabilise the arrow during flight.
2. (fisheries) A large boneless fillet of halibut, swordfish or tuna.

Synonyms

• (vane of arrow): feather, flight

Verb

fletch (third-person singular simple present fletches, present participle fletching, simple past and past participle fletched)

1. (transitive) To feather, as an arrow.

Derived terms

• fletcher
• fletching

Related terms

• fledge

English

Alternative forms

• flidge, flitch, flish, flig, flush

Etymology

From Middle English flegge, fligge, flygge, from Old English *fly??e (“able to fly, fledged”) (attested in *unfly??e, unfligge (“unfledged”)), from Proto-Germanic *flugjaz (“able to fly, fledged”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fl?d?/
• Rhymes: -?d?

Verb

fledge (third-person singular simple present fledges, present participle fledging, simple past and past participle fledged)

1. (transitive) To care for a young bird until it is capable of flight.
2. (intransitive) To grow, cover or be covered with feathers.
3. (transitive) To decorate with feathers.
4. (intransitive) To complete the last moult and become a winged adult insect.

Derived terms

• fledgling
• full-fledged
• unfledged

Related terms

• fletch
• fletcher
• fligger

Adjective

fledge (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Feathered; furnished with feathers or wings; able to fly.