foray

[fawr-ey, for-ey]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR foray ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder: Vikings made a foray on the port.

a quick, sudden attack: The defenders made a foray outside the walls.

an initial venture: a successful foray into politics.

verb (used without object)

to make a raid; pillage; maraud.

to invade or make one's way, as for profit or adventure: foreign industries foraying into U.S. markets.

verb (used with object)

to ravage in search of plunder; pillage.

Origin of foray

1350–1400; Middle English forraien, apparently by back formation from forrayour, forreour, forrier < Old French forrier, fourrier, equivalent to fo(u)rr(er), derivative of fuerre provender (see forage) + -ier -ier²

Related formsfor·ay·er, noun

Synonyms for foray

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR foray ON THESAURUS.COM

1. attack, assault, invasion, incursion, sortie.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for foray

inroad, raid, invasion, descent, irruption, sortie, attack, depredation, reconnaissance, sally

Examples from the Web for foray

Contemporary Examples of foray

But Jeff, who began his foray into pot gastronomy as a hobby, is rapidly turning it into a full-time pot-repreneurial business.
Meet the Julia Child of Weed
Justin Jones
November 13, 2014
He claims his foray with smack was explicitly for research and meant to be short-term, but he became addicted.
Five Journalists Who Did Drugs for Work
Emily Shire
June 4, 2014
So far, Ready for Hillary's foray into off-year elections is mixed.
Ready for Hillary Super PAC Throws In for 2014 Midterms
David Freedlander
March 26, 2014
Hourani credits Grumbach for his foray into the haute couture world, first asking him to become an invited member of the Chambre.
Rad Hourani, The First Unisex Couture Designer
Erin Cunningham
January 29, 2014
This is the publication's first foray into eCommerce after launching a shopable holiday gift guide last year.
Is Emilia Jardine-Paterson Kate Middleton’s Secret Stylist?; The Wall Street Journal Launches Online Shopping Platform
The Fashion Beast Team
November 5, 2013

Historical Examples of foray

Nor did such office of leader outlast a foray or a campaign.
Life of Schamyl
John Milton Mackie
The foray was a crazy idea, and Shann wondered again why he had agreed to it.
Storm Over Warlock
Andre Norton
The season of the foray had opened and flocks must be guarded by day and night.
Border Ghost Stories
Howard Pease
He would not go to foray, after the fashion of outlaws, and there was no need of this.
Eric Brighteyes
H. Rider Haggard
He determined, therefore, on every account, to make a foray into Macedon.
Pyrrhus
Jacob Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for foray

foray

noun

a short raid or incursion

a first attempt or new undertaking

verb

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

Derived Formsforayer, noun

Word Origin for foray

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for foray

late 14c., Scottish, from the verb (14c.), perhaps a back-formation of Middle English forreyer "raider, forager" (mid-14c.), from Old French forrier, from forrer "to forage" (see forage (n.)). Disused by 18c.; revived by Scott.