foray

[ fawr-ey, for-ey ]

noun

1. a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder:

   Vikings made a foray on the port.

   Synonyms: sortie, incursion, invasion, assault, attack

2. a quick, sudden attack:

   The defenders made a foray outside the walls.

3. an initial venture:

   a successful foray into politics.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a raid; pillage; maraud.
2. to invade or make one's way, as for profit or adventure:

   foreign industries foraying into U.S. markets.

verb (used with object)

1. to ravage in search of plunder; pillage.

foray

/ ˈfɒreɪ /

noun

1. a short raid or incursion
2. a first attempt or new undertaking

verb

1. to raid or ravage (a town, district, etc)

Derived Forms

• ˈforayer, noun

Other Words From

• foray·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of foray¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English forraien, apparently by back formation from forrayour, forreour, forrier, from Old French forrier, fourrier, equivalent to fo(u)rr(er), derivative of fuerre “provender” ( forage ) + -ier -ier ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of foray¹

C14: from forrayen to pillage, from Old French forreier , from forrier forager, from fuerre fodder; see forage

Example Sentences

The listings suggest this is just the beginning of the retailer’s foray into programmatic.

From Digiday

This is an initial foray into this area of what questions are people actually willing to ask and why.

From Freakonomics

In fact at SAP TechEd in December, the company announced SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation, its foray into the RPA space.

From TechCrunch

Money aside, this was more about entertainment and bragging rights than a serious foray in digital currencies, an offshoot of how fellow newsletter scribe Matt Levine calls the stock market a “fun casino.”

From Fortune

Apple’s reported foray into making its own self-driving, electric cars creates “a new Tesla bear case,” according to analysts at Morgan Stanley.

From Fortune

So, for that matter, was Gladiator, the previous foray into ancient legend by director Ridley Scott.

From The Daily Beast

But Jeff, who began his foray into pot gastronomy as a hobby, is rapidly turning it into a full-time pot-repreneurial business.

From The Daily Beast

He claims his foray with smack was explicitly for research and meant to be short-term, but he became addicted.

From The Daily Beast

So far, Ready for Hillary's foray into off-year elections is mixed.

From The Daily Beast

Hourani credits Grumbach for his foray into the haute couture world, first asking him to become an invited member of the Chambre.

From The Daily Beast

The latter episode is recorded as a separate foray, but probably it belongs to the August operations.

From Project Gutenberg

It was neither age nor sickness, as the chroniclers allege, that prevented King Robert from leading the Weardale foray.

From Project Gutenberg

I had enough of being a Pindharee after the second foray, and got to my home at Jhalone as soon as I could.

From Project Gutenberg

So Bohemond made shift to take the city while he thought me away on the southern foray!

From Project Gutenberg

On one occasion, a body of seven hunded infantry and a troop of horse, headed by several chiefs, made a foray.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• inroad
• invasion
• raid