pledge definition | Dictionary.com

pledge

[plej]

noun, verb, pledged, pledg⋅ing.

–noun

1.	a solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something: a pledge of aid; a pledge not to wage war.

2.	something delivered as security for the payment of a debt or fulfillment of a promise, and subject to forfeiture on failure to pay or fulfill the promise.

3.	the state of being given or held as security: to put a thing in pledge.

Law.

a.	the act of delivering goods, property, etc., to another for security.

b.	the resulting legal relationship.

5.	something given or regarded as a security.

6.	a person accepted for membership in a club, fraternity, or sorority, but not yet formally approved.

7.	an assurance of support or goodwill conveyed by drinking a person's health; a toast.

Obsolete.

a.	a hostage.

b.	a person who becomes bail or surety for another.

–verb (used with object)

9.	to bind by or as if by a pledge: to pledge hearers to secrecy.

10.	to promise solemnly: to pledge one's support.

11.	to give or deposit as a pledge; pawn.

12.	to stake, as one's honor.

13.	to secure by a pledge; give a pledge for.

14.	to accept as a pledge for club, fraternity, or sorority membership.

15.	to drink a health or toast to.

–verb (used without object)

16.	to make or give a pledge: to pledge for someone.

17.	to drink a pledge; toast someone's health, success, etc.

—Idiom

18.	take the pledge, to make a solemn, formal vow to abstain from intoxicating drink.

Origin:
1275–1325; ME plege < AF < early ML plevium, plebium, deriv. of plebīre to pledge < Gmc; cf. OE plēon to risk, G pflegen to look after. See plight ²

Related forms:

pledge⋅a⋅ble, adjective

pledger, noun

pledgeless, adjective

Synonyms:
2. warranty, surety, guaranty.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pledge (plěj)

A solemn binding promise to do, give, or refrain from doing something: signed a pledge never to reveal the secret; a pledge of money to a charity.
1. Something given or held as security to guarantee payment of a debt or fulfillment of an obligation.
2. The condition of something thus given or held: put an article in pledge.
3. Delivery of goods or personal property as security for a debt or obligation: a loan requiring a pledge of property.
4. The contract by which such delivery is made.
Law
1. Delivery of goods or personal property as security for a debt or obligation: a loan requiring a pledge of property.
2. The contract by which such delivery is made.
A token or sign: "fair pledges of a fruitful tree" (Robert Herrick).
A person who has been accepted for membership in a fraternity or similar organization and has promised to join but has not yet been initiated.
The act of drinking in honor of someone; a toast.
A vow to abstain from alcoholic liquor: ex-drinkers who have taken the pledge.

v. pledged, pledg·ing, pledg·es

v. tr.

To offer or guarantee by a solemn binding promise: pledge loyalty to a nation. See Synonyms at devote, promise.
To bind or secure by or as if by a pledge: pledged themselves to the cause.
To deposit as security; pawn.
1. To promise to join (a fraternity or similar organization).
2. To accept as a prospective member of such an organization.
To drink a toast to.

v. intr.

To make a solemn binding promise; swear.
To drink a toast.

[Middle English, from Old French plege, probably from Late Latin plevium, a security, of Germanic origin; see dlegh- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Pledge

Pledge\, n. [OF. plege, pleige, pledge, guaranty, LL. plegium, plivium; akin to OF. plevir to bail, guaranty, perhaps fr. L. praebere to proffer, offer (sc. fidem a trust, a promise of security), but cf. also E. play. [root]28. Cf. Prebend, Replevin.]

1. (Law) The transfer of possession of personal property from a debtor to a creditor as security for a debt or engagement; also, the contract created between the debtor and creditor by a thing being so delivered or deposited, forming a species of bailment; also, that which is so delivered or deposited; something put in pawn.

Note: Pledge is ordinarily confined to personal property; the title or ownership does not pass by it; possession is essential to it. In all these points it differs from a mortgage [see Mortgage]; and in the last, from the hypotheca of the Roman law. See Hypotheca. --Story. Kent.

2. (Old Eng. Law) A person who undertook, or became responsible, for another; a bail; a surety; a hostage. "I am Grumio's pledge." --Shak.

3. A hypothecation without transfer of possession.

4. Anything given or considered as a security for the performance of an act; a guarantee; as, mutual interest is the best pledge for the performance of treaties. "That voice, their liveliest pledge of hope." --Milton.

5. A promise or agreement by which one binds one's self to do, or to refrain from doing, something; especially, a solemn promise in writing to refrain from using intoxicating liquors or the like; as, to sign the pledge; the mayor had made no pledges.

6. A sentiment to which assent is given by drinking one's health; a toast; a health.

Dead pledge. [A translation of LL. mortuum vadium.] (Law) A mortgage. See Mortgage.

Living pledge. [A translation of LL. vivum vadium.] (Law) The conveyance of an estate to another for money borrowed, to be held by him until the debt is paid out of the rents and profits.

To hold in pledge, to keep as security.

To put in pledge, to pawn; to give as security.

Syn: See Earnest.

Pledge

Pledge\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pledged; p. pr. & vb. n. Pledging.] [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See Pledge, n.]

1. To deposit, as a chattel, in pledge or pawn; to leave in possession of another as security; as, to pledge one's watch.

2. To give or pass as a security; to guarantee; to engage; to plight; as, to pledge one's word and honor.

We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. --The Declaration of Independence.

3. To secure performance of, as by a pledge. [Obs.]

To pledge my vow, I give my hand. --Shak.

4. To bind or engage by promise or declaration; to engage solemnly; as, to pledge one's self.

5. To invite another to drink, by drinking of the cup first, and then handing it to him, as a pledge of good will; hence, to drink the health of; to toast.

Pledge me, my friend, and drink till thou be'st wise. --Cowley.

Language Translation for : pledge

Spanish: promesa,

German: das Versprechen,

Japanese: 誓い

More Translations »

pledge

1348, "surety, bail," from O.Fr. plege (Fr. pleige) "hostage, security, bail," probably from Frank. *plegan "to guarantee," from a W.Gmc. root meaning "have responsibility for" (cf. O.Saxon plegan "vouch for," O.H.G. pflegan "to care for, be accustomed to," O.E. pleon "to risk, expose to danger"). Meaning "allegiance vow attested by drinking with another" is from 1635. Sense of "solemn promise" first recorded 1814, though this meaning is from c.1400 in the verb. Weekley notes the "curious contradiction" in pledge "to toast with a drink" (1546) and pledge "the vow to abstain from drinking" (1833). Noun meaning "student who has agreed to join a fraternity or sorority" dates from 1901.

Main Entry: pledge
Pronunciation: 'plej
Function: noun
1 : a delivery of esp. personal property as security for a debt or other obligation; broadly : the perfection of a security interest in collateral through possession of the collateral by a creditor or other promisee
2 a : property and esp. personal property that is used as security esp. upon delivery; broadly : a security interest in collateral —compare chattel mortgage at MORTGAGE b : a contract under which the delivery of property (as personal property) as security takes place
3 a : the state of being held as security or guaranty pledge> b : something given as security for the performance of an act
4 : a binding promise to do or forbear

Main Entry: pledge
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: pledged; pledg·ing
1 : to deliver or otherwise put forward as security for a debt or other obligation <pledged his car as collateral for the loan>
2 : to bind by a pledge pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor —Declaration of Independence>
3 : to assure or promise the performance or payment of —pled·gor /'ple-j&r, ple-'jor/ or pledg·er /'ple-j&r/ noun

Pledge

See LOAN.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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