# badge
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English badge, bagge, bage, bagy, from Anglo-Norman bage or Medieval Latin bagea, bagia (“sign, emblem”), of uncertain origin. Possibly derived from Medieval Latin baga (“ring”), from Old Saxon bāg, bōg (“ring, ornament”), from Proto-Germanic *baugaz (“ring, bracelet, armband”); or possibly the Anglo-Norman word is derived from an earlier, unattested English word (compare Old English bēag (“ring, bracelet, collar, crown”). Cognate with Scots bagie, badgie, bawgy (“badge”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bæd͡ʒ/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ædʒ

### Noun

badge (plural badges)
* A distinctive mark, token, sign, emblem or cognizance, worn on one’s clothing, as an insignia of some rank, or of the membership of an organization.
    the badge of a society; the badge of a policeman
** 1843, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico, […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Harper and Brothers, […], →OCLC:Tax-gatherers, […] recognized by their official badges.
* A small nameplate, identifying the wearer, and often giving additional information.
* A card, sometimes with a barcode or magnetic strip, granting access to a certain area.
* Something characteristic; a mark; a token.
** 1588-93, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, act I, scene 2:Sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge.
* (obsolete, thieves' cant) A brand on the hand of a thief, etc.
    He has got his badge, and piked. ― He was branded on the hand, and is at liberty.
* (nautical) A carved ornament on the stern of a vessel, containing a window or the representation of one.
* (heraldry) A distinctive mark worn by servants, retainers, and followers of royalty or nobility, who, being beneath the rank of gentlemen, have no right to armorial bearings.
* (graphical user interface) A small overlay on an icon that shows additional information about that item, such as the number of new alerts or messages.
* (Internet, video games) An icon or emblem awarded to a user for some achievement.
    When you have checked in to the site from ten different cities, you unlock the Traveller badge.
* (slang) A police officer.
** 1995, Martin Scorsese, Casino, spoken by actor (Robert De Niro):That's why every badge back home wanted to nail him.

#### Synonyms

* See Thesaurus:badge

#### Derived terms

* badge bunny
* badge-cove
* badge drinking
* badgeless
* badgelike
* badgemaking
* badgeman
* badge of honor, badge of honour
* badge of merit
* badger
* badgework
* blue badge
* cap badge
* case badge
* debadge
* film badge
* film badge holder
* juice badge
* merit badge
* merit badge college
* merit badge university
* pilgrim badge
* proficiency badge
* quarter badge
* rank badge
* rebadge
* rusty sheriff's badge
* wear as a badge of honor, wear something as a badge of honor
* yellow badge

#### Descendants

* → Gulf Arabic: باجة (bāja)
* → Japanese: バッジ (bajji)
* → Korean: 배지 (baeji)

#### Translations
### Verb

badge (third-person singular simple present badges, present participle badging, simple past and past participle badged)
* (transitive) To mark or distinguish with a badge.
    The television was badged as ‘GE’, but wasn’t made by them.
* (transitive) To show a badge to.
    He calmed down a lot when the policeman badged him.
* (ambitransitive) To enter a restricted area by showing one’s badge.
** 1981, David Simon, Homicide, →ISBN, page 118:Worden and James walk […] to the […] Courthouse […] , where they badge their way past sheriff’s deputies and take the elevator to the third floor.
** 2003, Joseph Wambaugh, Fire Lover, page 146:And Patterson didn’t hear that Jack Egger, the studio’s director of security, said he’d seen John Orr badge his way through the pedestrian gate sometime before 4:00 pm, when the fire was still raging, […]
** 2004, Sergei Hoteko, On The Fringe Of History, page 135:Our regional commissioner, his assistant commissioner and our district director, along with their wives, were hoofing it to the rotunda. Apparently they didn’t try and badge their way through.
** 2006, David Pollino, Bill Pennington, Tony Bradley, Himanshu Dwivedi, Hacker’s challenge 3, page 338:Aaron badged into the data center and escorted Geoff inside the large room with its many blinking green lights.

#### Derived terms

* badge in
* badge out
* badge up

#### Translations
### References

* “badge”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at

### Anagrams

* bedag, begad, debag

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from English badge.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /badʒ/
* Homophones: badgent, badges

### Noun

badge m (plural badges)
* identity badge

### Verb

badge
* inflection of badger:
** first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
** second-person singular imperative

### Further reading

* “badge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.