Past tense of forge; to create or shape metal by heating and hammering, to create a fake document or signature, or to move forward determinedly.
From Old French 'forger,' derived from Latin 'fabrica' meaning 'workshop.' The word originally referred to metalworking but gained the meaning of 'falsify' (1520s) because forging (creating something false) paralleled the metalworking process. The 'move forward' sense developed metaphorically.
The word 'forge' has three completely different meanings that all relate to creating something—you can forge metal (create through heat), forge a document (create falsely), or forge ahead (create progress). This shows how one root word can branch into totally different uses through metaphor and time!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.