forage

American  

[fawr-ij, for-] / ˈfɔr ɪdʒ, ˈfɒr- /

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)

foraged, foraging

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)

foraged, foraging

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

   to forage the countryside.

2. to supply with forage.

3. to obtain by foraging.

forage British  

/ 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

Related Words

See feed.

Other Word Forms

• forager noun
• unforaged adjective

Etymology

Origin of forage

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

Example Sentences

After a few minutes of foraging, snapping, and binding, the fox and the badger stood back to survey their work.

From Literature

"There may be other kinds of effects specific to the foraging biology of the species in question that could be beneficial," added Robert Dudley, UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology.

From Science Daily

A camera trap in Tasmania originally set to photograph quolls captured a possum mother and joey passing nightly to forage.

From BBC

The researchers found that foraging bees are not simply delivering a fixed message.

From Science Daily

Another thing I liked about summer was that the pigs foraged free.

From Literature

Related Words

• comb
• rummage
• scour
• scrounge