EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR PLEDGED
But he did so without hesitation; for he loved his country, and had pledged his life to her service.
He's pledged to find you on the quay, and he will—unless some one makes him drunk.
If our cause be just—and we know it is— His omnipotence is pledged to its triumph.
The hand of Evelyn Cameron was pledged to him, the wedding-day was fixed.
Fade at the Persian's foot, You that, our patrons were pledged, should never adorn a slave!
After they had pledged each other, all three returned to Liu Wendsing.
He had pledged himself so faithfully not to outstay the first attack!
Still, he was pledged to the search, and he would go through with it.
I am pledged to make the hunt—not only for the mine but for the man who killed my father.
Its members are pledged to the keeping of a fivefold obligation.
WORD ORIGIN
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.