1 cadge | Definition of cadge

cadge

verb
\ ˈkaj How to pronounce cadge (audio) \
cadged; cadging

Definition of cadge

: beg, sponge cadge a free cup of coffee

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Other Words from cadge

cadger noun

Did You Know?

As long ago as the 1400s, peddlers traveled the British countryside, each with a packhorse or a horse and cart, first carrying produce from rural farms to town markets, then returning with small wares to sell to country folk. The Middle English name for such traders was "cadgear"; Scottish dialects rendered the term as "cadger." Etymologists are pretty sure the verb "cadge" was created as a back-formation of "cadger" (which is to say, it was formed by removal of the "-er" suffix). At its most general, cadger meant "carrier," and the verb cadge meant "to carry." More specifically, the verb meant to go about as a cadger or peddler. By the 1800s, it was used when someone who posed as a peddler turned out to be more of a beggar, from which arose our present-day use.

Examples of cadge in a Sentence

She cadged money from her sister.

Recent Examples on the Web

Malloch never minded hospital food and would often cadge a lunch and stay on for dinner, delighting in the conversation in-between. Sam Whiting, SFChronicle.com, "Neil Malloch, SF volunteer historian, found dead in Death Valley," 29 June 2019 One recent morning, a man dropped by Mr. Mishurov’s farmyard office to cadge a bucket of corn for his hens. James Marson, WSJ, "Struggling U.S. Farmers Worry About a Resurgent Russia," 23 Sep. 2018 But their games last night devolved into dissertations on solo play while the other starters hung around the 3-point line like beggars hoping to cadge quarters from the stars. Michael Powell, New York Times, "That Warriors vs. Rockets Epic May Well Be Over," 15 May 2018 Mike, Judith says, would cadge free pizza by offering to climb to the top of his barracks. John Kelly, Washington Post, "In Crystal City, Va., Gold Star families remember the loved ones lost to war," 27 May 2018 What started with independent groups of skaters cadging together D.I.Y. skate parks out of concrete and scrap wood grew into a movement to make the entire city a skate park. Jeff Ihaza, New York Times, "Skateboarders Won," 7 Apr. 2018 Its influence extended well beyond U.S. borders: Fidel Castro was an enthusiastic reader, and his speeches cadged from it, though without giving credit. Glenn Garvin, Anchorage Daily News, "Is the deep state real — and is it really at war with Donald Trump?," 3 Feb. 2018 His long Gershwin gig — signing autographs, reminiscing and lecturing on cruise ships and at concerts, cadging freebies and attention at jazz clubs and cabarets — was too enjoyable and, occasionally, lucrative. David Margolick, New York Times, "Alan Gershwin, Who Claimed a Famous Father, Is Dead at 91," 6 Mar. 2018 Three years go by; Eshel is now Israel’s Prime Minister, and Norman pushes and wheedles, doing favors for him and cadging favors in return, until a whiff of scandal arises from Norman’s dealings and Eshel is tainted. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "Norman," 8 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cadge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of cadge

circa 1812, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for cadge

back-formation from Scots cadger carrier, huckster, from Middle English cadgear

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More Definitions for cadge

cadge

verb

English Language Learners Definition of cadge

: to persuade someone to give you (something) for free

More from Merriam-Webster on cadge

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with cadge

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cadge