forage

1 of 2

noun

for·​age ˈfȯr-ij 

ˈfär-

1

: food for animals especially when taken by browsing or grazing

The grass serves as forage for livestock.

2

[forage entry 2] : the act of foraging : search for provisions

They made forages to find food.

forage

2 of 2

verb

foraged; foraging

transitive verb

1

: to strip of provisions : collect forage from

2

: to secure by foraging

foraged a chicken for the feast

intransitive verb

1

: to wander in search of forage or food

2

: to secure forage (as for horses) by stripping the country

3

: ravage, raid

4

: to make a search : rummage

forager noun

Synonyms

Verb

• browse
• graze
• pasture
• rustle

Examples of forage in a Sentence

Noun

The grass serves as forage for livestock.

Verb

The cows were foraging in the pasture.

He had to forage for firewood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ultimately, the study found that the availability of nutritional forage had the largest impact on moose population growth across the three study areas. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024

Owens Viani said proponents had also hoped to create buffer zones around agricultural areas, where birds of prey forage and which are part of habitat ranges for mountain lions, coyotes and other animals. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024

Verb

The outdoor space is especially of note—there’s a six-person table in the backyard and even a lemon tree that guests can forage from (perhaps as a garnish for a refreshing cocktail). —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024

Flavors feature fruits and plants foraged on the island, from mango and coconut to pandan and ube. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from fuerre, foer fodder, straw, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German fuotar food, fodder — more at food

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

forage

1 of 2 noun

for·​age ˈfȯr-ij 

ˈfär-

1

: food (as pasture) for browsing or grazing animals

2

: a search for food or supplies

forage

2 of 2 verb

foraged; foraging

1

: browse entry 1 sense 1, graze

2

: to make a search especially for food or supplies

forage for grain

forage for firewood

3

: to get by foraging

forager noun