forager

[ fawr-i-jer, for- ]

noun

1. a person or animal who goes out in search of food or provisions of any kind:

   The ants you see are the foragers, out looking for food and water, and they represent only a very small number of the total colony.

2. someone who collects or obtains things through hunting or searching about:

   We meet the protagonist struggling to make ends meet as a scrap-metal forager in a remote community.

Word History and Origins

Origin of forager¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, for an earlier sense; forag(e) ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

“Flooding and drought significantly impact wild-foraged products, with damage that often takes years to stabilize. For example, the floods in North Carolina in September 2024 severely affected Appalachian truffle foragers.”

From Salon

The musician is a keen forager with "an interest in mushrooms", and said she knew how to identify it and not mistake it for something poisonous.

From BBC

The space was redolent of chanterelles, a bowlful of which she’d just received from a forager friend in exchange for a burger.

From Los Angeles Times

The needles likely were used to create garments from the animals' furs to keep the early foragers warm in what was a cool climate.

From Science Daily

The organisation urges foragers to follow the Countryside Code - respect, protect and enjoy.

From BBC

Related Words

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• thief
• thug