English▸ verb (with reference to a ship or boat) move by hauling in a hawser attached to a small anchor dropped at some distance:
[with object] I kedged the dinghy to the port
[no object] most of the smaller boats had to kedge for a while.
▸ noun (also kedge anchor) a small anchor used to reposition a ship or boat by having the anchor's hawser hauled in.
– ORIGIN late 15th century : perhaps a specific use of dialect cadge ‘bind, tie’.