Meanings
forge1
plural forges
- A furnace or hearth where metals are heated prior to hammering them into shape.
Close to the hump-backed bridge on the lane leading into the Hambleden Valley is a mid-19th-century smithy, its inside walls hung with tools of the blacksmith's trade, though decorative wrought-ironwork is now the main product from its glowing forge.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 214, about Hambleden - The act of beating or working iron or steel.
In the greater bodies the forge was easy.
1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC - computingA web-based collaborative platform for developing and sharing software.
If the project uses a forge like GitLab, GitHub, or BitBucket, it can be very easy to search all past commit logs […]
2018, V. M. Brasseur, Forge Your Future with Open Source, The Pragmatic Bookshelf, →ISBNSynonyms: software forge
forge2
present singular third person forges · participle present forging · participle past forged · past forged
- artsTo shape a metal by heating and hammering.
On Mars's armor forged for proof eterne
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 4511 more example
Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.[…]. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.
1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC - To form or create with concerted effort.
The politician's recent actions are an effort to forge a relationship with undecided voters.
3 more examples
Those names that the schools forged, and put into the mouth of scholars, could never get admittance into common use.
1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLCO purblind race of miserable men, / How many among us at this very hour / Do forge a life-long trouble for ourselves. / By taking true for false, or false for true.
1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 45–46In The Last Guardian, a kidnapped boy forges an uneasy relationship with a frightening beast in order to survive.
2019 May 8, Jon Bailes, “Save yourself! The video games casting us as helpless children”, in The GuardianSynonyms: carve out
- To create a forgery of; to make a counterfeit item of; to copy or imitate unlawfully.
He had to forge his ex-wife's signature. The jury learned the documents had been forged.
- To make falsely; to produce, as that which is untrue or not genuine; to fabricate.
That paltry story is untrue, / And forged to cheat such gulls as you.
1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC
forge3
present singular third person forges · participle present forging · participle past forged · past forged
- intransitiveTo move forward slowly (originally as a ship); to advance gradually but steadily, especially in the face of resistance or difficulty.
The party of explorers forged through the thick underbrush.
1 more example
And off she [a ship] forged without a shock.
1849, Thomas De Quincey, “Dream-Fugue”, in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine
Forge4
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA web-based collaborative platform for developing and sharing software.
verbTo form or create with concerted effort.
More synonyms by meaning
verbcome up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
verbmake something, usually for a specific function
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
forge · noun
- Latinfabrica“workshop”
- Old Frenchforge
- Middle Englishforge
- Englishforge
From Middle English forge, from Old French forge, early Old French faverge, from Latin fabrica (“workshop”), from faber (“workman in hard materials, smith”) (genitive fabri). Cognate with Franco-Provençal favèrge. Doublet of fabric and fabrica. Partially displaced English smithy. * Computing sense perhaps derived from the early SourceForge service, launched in 1999.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →forge · verb
- Latinfabrico“to frame, construct, build”
- Old Frenchforgier
- Anglo-Normanforger
- Middle Englishforgen
- Englishforge
From Middle English forgen, from Anglo-Norman forger and Old French forgier, from Latin fabrico (“to frame, construct, build”). Doublet of fabricate.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →forge · verb
Make way, move ahead, most likely an alteration of force, but perhaps from forge (n.), via notion of steady hammering at something. Originally nautical, in reference to vessels.
Full word history & related roots →Forge · proper noun
- Old Frenchforge“forge, furnace”
- EnglishForge
From Old French forge (“forge, furnace”), a surname for someone who lived near or worked in a forge or smithy.
More words from Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans smeltery, smedery
- smelteryworkshop
- smederyworkshop
- smeeto shape a metal
- vervalsto create a forgery of
Ancient Greek κάμινος, βαῦνος
- κάμινος (káminos)furnace or hearth
- βαῦνος (baûnos)furnace or hearth
Arabic وَرْشَة حِدَادَة
- وَرْشَة حِدَادَة (waršat ḥidāda)workshop
Bulgarian огни́ще на кова́чница, кова́чница
- огни́ще на кова́чница (ogníšte na kováčnica)furnace or hearth
- кова́чница (kováčnica)workshop
- кова (kova)to shape a metal
- изковавам (izkovavam)to shape a metal
- подправям (podpravjam)to create a forgery of
- напредвам с труд (napredvam s trud)to move forward gradually in the face of resistance
Catalan farga, forja
- fargafurnace or hearth
- forjafurnace or hearth
- fargaworkshop
- forjarto shape a metal
- fargarto shape a metal
- contraferto create a forgery of
- falsificarto create a forgery of
Chinese Mandarin 鐵匠鋪 /铁匠铺, 鍛造 /锻造
- 鐵匠鋪 /铁匠铺 (tiějiàngpù)workshop
- 鍛造 /锻造 (duànzào)to shape a metal
- 鑄造 /铸造 (zhùzào)to shape a metal
Czech kovárna, kout
- kovárnaworkshop
- koutto shape a metal
Danish esse, smedje
- essefurnace or hearth
- smedjeworkshop
- smedeværkstedworkshop
- smedeto shape a metal
- forfalsketo create a forgery of
Dutch smeltoven, smidsvuur
- smeltovenfurnace or hearth
- smidsvuurfurnace or hearth
- smidseworkshop
- smelterijworkshop
- smederijworkshop
- smedento shape a metal
- vervalsento create a forgery of
- met moeite/langzaam vorderento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
Esperanto forĝi, antaŭeniri
- forĝito shape a metal
- antaŭenirito move forward gradually in the face of resistance
Finnish ahjo, paja
- ahjofurnace or hearth
- pajaworkshop
- takomoworkshop
- työpajaworkshop
- verstasworkshop
- takoato shape a metal
- työstääto shape a metal
- vasaroidato shape a metal
- väärentääto create a forgery of
French forge, forge
- forgefurnace or hearth
- forgeworkshop
- forgerto shape a metal
- falsifierto create a forgery of
- contrefaireto create a forgery of
German Schmiedeofen, Esse
- Schmiedeofenfurnace or hearth
- Essefurnace or hearth
- Schmiedefeuerfurnace or hearth
- Schmiedeworkshop
- schmiedento shape a metal
- warmformento shape a metal
- formento shape a metal
- ausschmiedento shape a metal
- fälschento create a forgery of
- klitternto create a forgery of
- sich Bahn brechento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorankämpfento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- drängento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorandrängento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vordrängento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorwärts kommento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorankommento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorwärtskommento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- nach vorn drängento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorwärtskämpfento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorkämpfento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- vorwärts kämpfento move forward gradually in the face of resistance
Greek καμίνι, φούρνος
- καμίνι (kamíni)furnace or hearth
- φούρνος (foúrnos)furnace or hearth
- σιδηρουργείο (sidirourgeío)workshop
- σφυρηλατώ (sfyrilató)to shape a metal
- πλαστογραφώ (plastografó)to create a forgery of
Hawaiian kapuahi, kuʻi
- kapuahifurnace or hearth
- kuʻito shape a metal
Hebrew זִיֵּף
- זִיֵּף (ziyyéf)to create a forgery of
Hindi भट्ठी, भट्ठा
- भट्ठी (bhaṭṭhī)furnace or hearth
- भट्ठा (bhaṭṭhā)furnace or hearth
- लोहारख़ाना (lohārxānā)workshop
Hungarian kovácstűzhely, kohó
- kovácstűzhelyfurnace or hearth
- kohófurnace or hearth
- kovácsműhelyworkshop
- hámorworkshop
- kovácsolto shape a metal
- hamisítto create a forgery of
Icelandic smiðja
- smiðjaworkshop
Irish ceárta
- ceártaworkshop
Italian forgia, fucina
- forgiafurnace or hearth
- fucinaworkshop
- forgiareto shape a metal
- formareto shape a metal
- falsificareto create a forgery of
Japanese 鍛冶屋
- 鍛冶屋 (kajiya)workshop
Korean 대장간, 위조하다
- 대장간 (daejanggan)workshop
- 위조하다 (wijohada)to create a forgery of
Latin camīnus, incudo
- camīnusfurnace or hearth
- incudoto shape a metal
Latvian kalve, smēde (Germanism)
- kalveworkshop
- smēde (Germanism)workshop
- kaltto shape a metal
- viltotto create a forgery of
Lithuanian kalvė
- kalvėworkshop
Malay meniru
- meniruto create a forgery of
Māori takuahi mahi maitai, whare mahi maitai
- takuahi mahi maitaifurnace or hearth
- whare mahi maitaiworkshop
- whare tāhanaworkshop
- tāhanato shape a metal
- whakatapehato create a forgery of
- aweketo create a forgery of
Norwegian Bokmål esse, smie
- essefurnace or hearth
- smieworkshop
- smito shape a metal
Persian آهنگرخانه
- آهنگرخانه (âhangar-xâne)workshop
Polish palenisko, kuźnia
- paleniskofurnace or hearth
- kuźniaworkshop
- kućto shape a metal
- wykuwaćto shape a metal
- wykućto shape a metal
- fałszowaćto create a forgery of
- sfałszowaćto create a forgery of
- podrabiaćto create a forgery of
- podrobićto create a forgery of
- posuwać sięto move forward gradually in the face of resistance
- posunąć sięto move forward gradually in the face of resistance
Portuguese frágua, forja
- fráguafurnace or hearth
- forjafurnace or hearth
- forjaworkshop
- forjarto shape a metal
- forjarto create a forgery of
Punjabi ਪਹਾਰਾ, ਗਰਮ ਕਰਕੇ ਘੜਨਾ
- ਪਹਾਰਾ (pahārā)furnace or hearth
- ਗਰਮ ਕਰਕੇ ਘੜਨਾ (garam karke ghaṛnā)to shape a metal
- ਜਾਲ੍ਹਸਾਜ਼ੀ ਕਰਨਾ (jālhsāzī karnā)to create a forgery of
- ਪ੍ਰਤਿਰੋਧ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਣਾ (prtirodh bāvjūd agge vadhṇā)to move forward gradually in the face of resistance
Romanian forjă, fierărie
- forjăworkshop
- fierărieworkshop
- forjărieworkshop
- forjato shape a metal
- făurito shape a metal
Russian горн, ку́зница
- горн (gorn)furnace or hearth
- ку́зница (kúznica)workshop
- ку́зня (kúznja)workshop
- кова́ть (kovátʹ)to shape a metal
- подде́лывать (poddélyvatʹ)to create a forgery of
- подде́лать (poddélatʹ)to create a forgery of
Scottish Gaelic ceàrdach
- ceàrdachworkshop
Slovak kováčňa, kovať
- kováčňaworkshop
- kovaťto shape a metal
- kuťto shape a metal
Spanish forja, forja
- forjafurnace or hearth
- forjaworkshop
- fraguaworkshop
- forjarto shape a metal
- fraguarto shape a metal
- forjarto create a forgery of
Swedish ässja, smedja
- ässjafurnace or hearth
- smedjaworkshop
- smidato shape a metal
- förfalskato create a forgery of
Tagalog batbatan, panday
- batbatanworkshop
- pandayto shape a metal
Thai โรงตีเหล็ก, ตี
- โรงตีเหล็กworkshop
- ตี (dtii)to shape a metal
- ปลอม (bplɔɔm)to create a forgery of
- ปลอมแปลงto create a forgery of
Turkish demir dövmek
- demir dövmekto shape a metal
Ukrainian ку́зня, кова́льня
- ку́зня (kúznja)workshop
- кова́льня (koválʹnja)workshop
- кува́ти (kuváty)to shape a metal
- підробляти (pidrobljaty)to create a forgery of
- підробити (pidrobyty)to create a forgery of
Urdu لوہار خانَہ
- لوہار خانَہ (lohār xānā)workshop
Vietnamese lò rèn, lò luyện kim
- lò rènworkshop
- lò luyện kimworkshop
- xưởng luyện kimworkshop
- rènto shape a metal
- đúcto shape a metal
- làm giảto create a forgery of
Welsh gefail
- gefailworkshop
Yiddish שמידערײַ, קוזניע
- שמידערײַ (shmideray)workshop
- קוזניע (kuznye)workshop
- שמידן (shmidn)to shape a metal
- קאָווען (koven)to shape a metal
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with forge
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
forge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forge
“forge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forge. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forge,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forge.
Source: forge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.