Naut. Also 7 kedg. [Perh. a specialized variant of CADGE v. For the change from a to e, cf. keg, ketch, from cag, catch, etc.
The earliest forms evidenced are those of the vbl. sb. kedging in the comb. cagging-anchor, -cable, and the agent-n. kedger (cagger) which are perh. to be referred to CADGE v. in the sense ‘tie, fasten.’ The vb. may be a back-formation from this, after the special sense was developed.]
intr. a. To warp a ship, or move it from one position to another by winding in a hawser attached to a small anchor dropped at some distance; also trans. to warp. b. Of a ship: To move by means of kedging.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., vii. 29. The least are called Kedgers, to use in calme weather…, or to kedg vp and downe a narrow Riuer.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), To Kedge, to set up the Foresail or Foretopsail and Missen, and set a Ship to drive with the Tide [1706 letting fall, and lifting up the Kedge-Anchor, as often as Occasion serves] when in a narrow River we would bring her up or down, the Wind being contrary to the Tide.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxiv. 75. She went to windward as though she were kedging.
1897. trans. Nansen’s Farthest North, I. 166. We ‘kedged’ the Fram with her anchor just clear of the bottom.
So Kedging vbl. sb. (also 5 caggering (?), cagg(e)-, kaggyng), warping with a kedge-anchor; also attrib.
1485. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 52. Cables … vj, Caggering [sic] cables … j. Ibid. (1486), 12. A caggeyng cable weying MlC iij quarterons. Ibid., 18. Caggyng cable … j. Ibid. (1495), 192. Kaggyng Ankers … ij. Ibid. (1497), 290. Ankers of diuerse sortes … Caggyng Ankers j, Warpyng Ankers j.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., vii. 29. They row by her with an Anchor in a boat, and … so by a Hawser winde her head about,… and this is kedging.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., s.v., They … let fall [a small anchor] in the middle of the Stream, and so wend or turn her Head about, lifting the Anchor up again…. This work is called Kedging, and the Anchor … the Kedger, or Kedge-Anchor.
1830. Marryat, King’s Own, III. ii. 36. I presume you are not used to kedging, captain.
1891. Times, 24 Oct., 6/6. That he had, during a calm, propelled the Minnow by means of kedging.
