take the pledge

noun

1. a solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something: a pledge of aid; a pledge not to wage war.
2. something delivered as security for the payment of a debt or fulfillment of a promise, and subject to forfeiture on failure to pay or fulfill the promise.
3. the state of being given or held as security: to put a thing in pledge.
4. Law.
   1. the act of delivering goods, property, etc., to another for security.
   2. the resulting legal relationship.
5. something given or regarded as a security.
6. a person accepted for membership in a club, fraternity, or sorority, but not yet formally approved.
7. an assurance of support or goodwill conveyed by drinking a person’s health; a toast.
8. Obsolete.
   1. a hostage.
   2. a person who becomes bail or surety for another.

verb (used with object), pledged, pledg·ing.

9. to bind by or as if by a pledge: to pledge hearers to secrecy.
10. to promise solemnly: to pledge one’s support.
11. to give or deposit as a pledge; pawn.
12. to stake, as one’s honor.
13. to secure by a pledge; give a pledge for.
14. to accept as a pledge for club, fraternity, or sorority membership.
15. to drink a health or toast to.

verb (used without object), pledged, pledg·ing.

16. to make or give a pledge: to pledge for someone.
17. to drink a pledge; toast someone’s health, success, etc.

Idioms

18. take the pledge, to make a solemn, formal vow to abstain from intoxicating drink.

noun

1. a formal or solemn promise or agreement, esp to do or refrain from doing something
2. 1. collateral for the payment of a debt or the performance of an obligation
   2. the condition of being collateral (esp in the phrase in pledge)
3. a sign, token, or indicationthe gift is a pledge of their sincerity
4. an assurance of support or goodwill, conveyed by drinking to a person, cause, etc; toastwe drank a pledge to their success
5. a person who binds himself, as by becoming bail or surety for another
6. sign the pledge or take the pledge to make a vow to abstain from alcoholic drink

verb

7. to promise formally or solemnlyhe pledged allegiance
8. (tr) to bind or secure by or as if by a pledgethey were pledged to secrecy
9. to give, deposit, or offer (one’s word, freedom, property, etc) as a guarantee, as for the repayment of a loan
10. to drink a toast to (a person, cause, etc)

n.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” (cf. 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.)). Meaning “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. v.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.