What is "pledge"

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.

c.1400, "to promise" (something to someone), "to give over as security for repayment," also "promise faith to," from pledge (n.) and from Old French plegier, from plege (n.). From mid-15c. as "to stand surety for, be responsible for;" late 15c. as "to mortgage." Meaning "put (someone) under oath" is from 1570s; sense of "to solemnly promise or guarantee" is from 1590s, as is sense "to drink a toast." Related: Pledged; pledging.

mid-14c., "surety, bail," from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) "hostage, security, bail," probably from Frankish *plegan "to guarantee," from *pleg-, a West Germanic root meaning "have responsibility for" (cognates: Old Saxon plegan "vouch for," Middle Dutch plien "to answer for, guarantee," Old High German pflegan "to care for, be accustomed to," Old English pleon "to risk the loss of, expose to danger;" see plight (v.)).\n

\nMeaning "allegiance vow attested by drinking with another" is from 1630s. Sense of "solemn promise" first recorded 1814, though this notion is from 16c. in the verb. Weekley notes the "curious contradiction" in pledge (v.) "to toast with a drink" (1540s) and pledge (n.) "the vow to abstain from drinking" (1833). Meaning "student who has agreed to join a fraternity or sorority" dates from 1901.

n. 1 A solemn promise to do something. 2 Something given by a person who is borrowing money etc to the person he has borrowed it from, to be kept until the money etc is returned. 3 A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but not yet formally approved. 4 A security to guarantee payment of a debt. 5 A drinking toast. 6 {{context|with (l en the)|lang=en}} A promise to abstain from drinking alcohol. vb. 1 To make a solemn promise (to do something). 2 To deposit something as a security; to pawn. 3 (context transitive English) To give assurance of friendship by the act of drinking; to drink to one's health.

1. n. a deposit of personal property as security for a debt; "his saxophone was in pledge"

2. someone accepted for membership but not yet fully admitted to the group

3. a drink in honor of or to the health of a person or event [syn: toast]

4. a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something; "an assurance of help when needed"; "signed a pledge never to reveal the secret" [syn: assurance]

1. v. promise solemnly and formally; "I pledge that will honor my wife" [syn: plight]

2. pay (an amount of money) as a contribution to a charity or service, especially at regular intervals; "I pledged $10 a month to my favorite radio station" [syn: subscribe]

3. propose a toast to; "Let us toast the birthday girl!"; "Let's drink to the New Year" [syn: toast, drink, salute, wassail]

4. give as a guarantee; "I pledge my honor"

5. bind or secure by a pledge; "I was pledged to silence"

Pledge may refer to:

"Pledge" is a maxi-single featuring a winter ballad by the Japanese rock band The Gazette. It was released on December 15, 2010 in two editions; the "Optical Impression" edition, "Auditory Impression" edition. The first edition has two types, A and B. Type A includes two songs "Pledge" and "The True Murderous Intent", and a DVD containing the music video and making for the song "Pledge". Type B also includes two songs, and a DVD which contains three songs of their latest concert. The second edition comes with a bonus track "Voiceless Fear".

Pledge is a cleaning product made by S. C. Johnson & Son. It is used to help dust and clean.

A pledge is a bailment that conveys possessory title to property owned by a debtor (the pledgor) to a creditor (the pledgee) to secure repayment for some debt or obligation and to the mutual benefit of both parties. The term is also used to denote the property which constitutes the security. A pledge is type of security interest.

Pledge is the pignus of Roman law, from which most of the modern European-based law on the subject is derived, but is generally a feature of even the most basic legal systems. It differs from hypothecation and from the more usual mortgage in that the pledge is in the possession of the pledgee. It is similar, however, in that all three can apply to personal and real property. A pledge of personal property is known as a pawn and that of real property is called an antichresis.

In earlier medieval law, especially in Germanic law, two types of pledge existed, being either possessory (cf. Old English wed, Old French gage, Old High German wetti, Latin pignus depositum), i.e. delivered from the outset, or non-possessory (cf. OE bād, OFr nam, nant, OHG pfant, L pignus oppositum), i.e. distrained on the maturity date, and the latter essentially gave rise to the legal principle of distraint. This distinction still remains in some systems, e.g. French gage vs. nantissement and Dutch vuistpand vs. stil pand. Token, symbolic reciprocal pledges were commonly incorporated into formal ceremonies as a way of solidifying agreements and other transactions.

The chief difference between Roman and English law is that certain things (e.g. apparel, furniture and instruments of tillage) could not be pledged in Roman law, while there is no such restriction in English law. In the case of a pledge, a special property passes to the pledgee, sufficient to enable him to maintain an action against a wrongdoer, but the general property, that is the property subject to the pledge, remains in the pledgor.

As the pledge is for the benefit of both parties, the pledgee is bound to exercise only ordinary care over the pledge. The pledgee has the right of selling the pledge if the pledgor make default in payment at the stipulated time. No right is acquired by the wrongful sale of a pledge except in the case of property passing by delivery, such as money or negotiable securities. In the case of a wrongful sale by a pledgee, the pledgor cannot recover the value of the pledge without a tender of the amount due.

The law of Scotland and the United States generally agrees with that of England as to pledges. The main difference is that in Scotland and in Louisiana a pledge cannot be sold unless with judicial authority. In some of the U.S. states the common law as it existed apart from the Factors Acts is still followed; in others the factor has more or less restricted power to give a title by pledge.

Pledge (stylized PL3DGE) is the fourth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Killer Mike, released on May 17, 2011, through SMC Recordings, Grind Time Official, Tree Leaf Records and Grand Hustle Records. The album's production was handled by Tha Bizness, No I.D., Flying Lotus, The Beat Bullies, DJ Speedy, Raz of the Beat Billionaires and Grind Time label-mates Smiff & Cash. The album, which is his third in the I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind series, was supported by the lead single "Ready Set Go", featuring Grand Hustle label-boss and fellow American rapper T.I..