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kluge. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
kluge, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
kluge in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
kluge you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From US military slang, possibly from German klug (“clever”), or perhaps from Dutch Low Saxon klütje (“(little) dumpling, clod”), Jutland Danish klyt (“piece of bad workmanship, klud(g)e”); compare standard Danish kludder (“mess, disorder”). (Compare English klutz.)
According to the OED, an "invented word" influenced by bodge and fudge.
Compare kludge.
Pronunciation
Noun
kluge (plural kluges)
- Something that should not work, but does.
- A device assembled from components intended for disparate purposes.
Usage notes
- Today, kluge and kludge are often used as alternative spellings of the same word, although a distinction in usage can perhaps be detected: in the UK, the connotation of kludge is almost wholly negative (as befits its alleged derivation), while US usage of kluge, following its alleged German derivation, admits some fondness or admiration for the cleverness or functionality underlying a working klu(d)ge.
Synonyms
Verb
kluge (third-person singular simple present kluges, present participle kluging, simple past and past participle kluged)
- Alternative form of kludge
References
Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
Anagrams
German
Pronunciation
Adjective
kluge
- inflection of klug:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular