Forge Means to Make and to Fake
To forge is to shape metal by heating and hammering. It also means to counterfeit, and both senses come from the same word for making.
To forge is to shape metal by heating and hammering, and also to produce a fraudulent copy. The two are one word: Latin *fabricare* means simply to make, so forging a sword and forging a signature are both acts of fabrication. English kept the neutral sense in metalwork and let the criminal one develop alongside. A third use, *forge ahead*, meaning to advance steadily, is separate and probably a variant of *force*.
- To shape metal. *A forged blade.*
- A blacksmith's hearth. *The village forge.*
- To counterfeit. *He forged the signature.*
- Forge ahead — to advance. *Forging ahead.*
- Forgery — the fake. *A clumsy forgery.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | forge | Forge steel. |
| Past | forged | Forged in iron. |
| Noun | forge | A hot forge. |
| Noun | forgery | A forgery. |
| Latin | fabricare | To make. |
- The blade was forged by hand.Metalwork.
- He forged his father's signature.Fraud.
- They forged ahead despite the weather.Separate sense.
Why forged metal is stronger
- Forging aligns the grain of the metal along the shape of the part
- Casting pours molten metal into a mould, leaving a random grain
- Forged parts resist fatigue and impact better
- Drop forging uses a hammer and die for repeat production
- Crankshafts and connecting rods are forged for this reason
Old French *forgier*, from Latin *fabricare*, to make or construct, from *faber*, a craftsman.
Why does forge mean both make and fake?
The Latin root means simply to make. Forging a document is fabricating it, and the criminal sense grew from that neutral one.
Is forge ahead related?
Probably not. It is likely a variant of force, meaning to push forward, and appears first in nautical use.