foraging
- the acquisition of food by hunting, fishing, or the gathering of plant matter.
- characterized by or dependent upon the acquisition of food by such means; food-gathering: a foraging people.
forage
- food for horses or cattle; fodder; provender.
- the seeking or obtaining of such food.
- the act of searching for provisions of any kind.
- a raid.
- to wander or go in search of provisions.
- to search about; seek; rummage; hunt: He went foraging in the attic for old mementos.
- to make a raid.
- to collect forage from; strip of supplies; plunder: to forage the countryside.
- to supply with forage.
- to obtain by foraging.
Origin of forage
Synonym study
Related Words for foraging
rummage, comb, scour, scrounge, pilfer, rake, raid, grub, beat, hunt, ravage, plunder, explore, seek, ransackExamples from the Web for foraging
Contemporary Examples of foraging
Mountain sheep were everywhere, some sleeping by the road, some foraging, bells ringing from their necks as they moved.
Salt Point is also the setting of a cautionary tale about foraging that has spread like a fungus among the mycological community.
Attempts to mimic the eating habits of our foraging relatives results from a confused understanding of our history.
My wife comes home from a foraging mission and reports seeing homemade signs in the area that say, "Con Ed Sucks."
But often Steinbeck was traveling across the western U.S., with no good fishing or foraging to be had.
Menu for a Moveable Feast: 10 Famous Authors and Their Favorite Foods & RecipesNicole Villeneuve
October 12, 2012
Historical Examples of foraging
A squadron was engaged in covering the operations of a foraging party.
The Story of the Malakand Field ForceSir Winston S. Churchill
The man was dressed like a traveller, in a foraging cap with fur about it, and a heap of cloak.
Little DorritCharles Dickens
All the girls in the town are in love with me, or my foraging cap.
Vivian GreyEarl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
We are spending our time mostly in foraging, scouting, and patrolling.
Three Years in the Federal CavalryWillard Glazier
And the gaze he turned upon his foraging horses was quite preoccupied.
The Golden WomanRidgwell Cullum
forage
- food for horses or cattle, esp hay or straw
- the act of searching for food or provisions
- military a raid or incursion
- to search (the countryside or a town) for food, provisions, etc
- (intr) military to carry out a raid
- (tr) to obtain by searching about
- (tr) to give food or other provisions to
- (tr) to feed (cattle or horses) with such food
Word Origin for forage
Word Origin and History for foraging
forage
early 14c. (late 13c. as Anglo-Latin foragium), from Old French forrage "fodder, foraging, pillaging, looting" (12c., Modern French fourrage), from fuerre "hay, straw, forage, fodder" (Modern French feurre) "fodder, straw," from Frankish *fodr "food" or a similar Germanic source (cf. Old High German fuotar, Old English fodor); see fodder). Military forage cap attested by 1827.
forage
early 15c., from Middle French fourrager, from fourage (Old French forrage; see forage (n.)). Related: Foraged; foraging.