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)

Other Word Forms

• forayer 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

AMD’s biggest foray into artificial intelligence began in late 2023 with its launch of the MI300 series of graphics processing units, or GPUs, the chips required for the advanced computing workloads behind AI.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ellison’s other foray into the world of movies and TV through his son David’s company Skydance Media is another side-door media play.

Read more on Barron's

Memphis is the front line of Musk’s costly foray into the AI wars.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This deal isn’t Berkshire’s first foray into chemicals.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The $90 level, which has acted as a ceiling since the early April “Liberation Day” lows, is once again being tested—June’s brief foray being the only prior exception.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• inroad 
• invasion 
• raid