forage

[ fawr-ij, for- ]

noun

1. food for horses or cattle; fodder; provender.
2. the seeking or obtaining of such food.
3. the act of searching for provisions of any kind.
4. a raid.

verb (used without object)

, for·aged, for·ag·ing.

1. to wander or go in search of provisions.
2. to search about; seek; rummage; hunt:

   He went foraging in the attic for old mementos.

3. to make a raid.

verb (used with object)

, for·aged, for·ag·ing.

1. to collect forage from; strip of supplies; plunder:

   to forage the countryside.

2. to supply with forage.
3. to obtain by foraging.

forage

/ ˈfɒrɪdʒ /

noun

1. food for horses or cattle, esp hay or straw
2. the act of searching for food or provisions
3. military a raid or incursion

verb

1. to search (the countryside or a town) for food, provisions, etc
2. intr military to carry out a raid
3. tr to obtain by searching about
4. tr to give food or other provisions to
5. tr to feed (cattle or horses) with such food

Derived Forms

• ˈforager, noun

Other Words From

• for·ag·er noun
• un·for·aged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of forage¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Old French fourrage, derivative of fuerre fodder (from Germanic )

Word History and Origins

Origin of forage¹

C14: from Old French fourrage , probably of Germanic origin; see food , fodder

Synonym Study

See feed.

Example Sentences

A few simple steps, a little time, and a few bucks for shipping, and you’ll have the information you need to give your seeds the best chance to flourish into deer-magnet forage.

From Popular-Science

Most fallow or unplanted soils are below the neutral level, meaning they’re acidic, which prevents planted forage from accessing the soil’s nutrients.

From Popular-Science

Charred proteins and veggies and starches take less energy to chew and digest than raw ones, netting more calories and nutrients with each forage and hunt.

From Popular-Science

There’s so much forage about, the predators are in hunting mode.

From Washington Post

When rainfall is plentiful, there’s more likely to be enough forage for all grass-eaters.

From Popular-Science

Make him forage, dig it out of the ice, catch the occasional live trout.

From The Daily Beast

They raise cattle on the grassland, and sow the other half in wheat and forage for the herd.

From The Daily Beast

They go to the grocery store dumpster to forage for food, find potatoes, butter, and celery.

From The Daily Beast

His main body set about preparing food, and disposed themselves at ease, while parties went out to forage.

From Project Gutenberg

This led to the discovery that the young urchin had been on a most successful forage for a dinner that morning.

From Project Gutenberg

He had to keep 160 men and eighty horse, and to draw all victuals and forage from England.

From Project Gutenberg

On coming in front of the Captain, he stopped short, and raised his hand respectfully to the peak of his forage cap.

From Project Gutenberg

Youatt attributes it to certain kinds of forage, which are peculiar to the above situations.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• comb
• rummage
• scour
• scrounge