forage

1 of 2

noun

for·​age ˈfȯr-ij How to pronounce forage (audio)
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
4
: to make a search : rummage
forager noun

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
The transients that forage in the Northern Pacific Ocean can also be further divided into two groups. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2024 Exiled islanders returned to fish, forage and visit sacred sites as their ancestors did for thousands of years. Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 This results in high river plume pushing into the Gulf and nudging the tuna farther offshore, where salinity levels remain favorable for predators and forage. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024 For example, California sea lions forage in Pacific coastal waters from the Canadian border to Baja California and are accidentally caught by boats fishing for hake and halibut. Heather Welch, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2024 These unnatural structures miles out into the Gulf create concentrated ecosystems that include a wide variety of forage species. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024 There were signs of growth in the production of durum wheat, corn for silage, and several forage crops — an increase that matches that of the dairy industry in the past decades. The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 During fieldwork at Phi Phi Islands, Thailand, spanning several weeks, the photographer focused on documenting the behavior of these crab-eating macaques and their water forages. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 It can be seen swimming and scurrying, and is so adept at using tools—to, say, forage for food or floss its teeth—that its own intelligence is a hot topic of academic study. Erika Fry, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024
Verb
Players are in charge of running a farm left to them by their dead grandfather and all the fun that comes along with it — growing crops, raising livestock, mining, foraging and socializing with the townspeople. The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 In her six-week life span, this worker bee will forage for food, make honey—and raise the next generation. Anna Goldwater Alexander, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 Wasps forage over a wide area and might show up even if a nest is far away. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 But monarchs face an even higher risk because of the impact insecticides have on insects that forage for pollen. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Life in a cage on a concrete floor prevented Mark from enjoying natural bear behaviors like foraging for food and hibernation. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 The robin flocks were likely making their way north and stopped to forage and bathe in the pond. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 These creatures don’t follow climate cues to start foraging, but instead depend on day length, which does not change during false springs. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The leaves of young plants are tasty in stir fries and salads (outdoors educator Jason Wise offers many classes for foraging invasive weeds, complete with recipes), and the flowers can make a lovely fabric dye. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of forage was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near forage

Cite this Entry

“Forage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forage. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

forage

1 of 2 noun
for·​age ˈfȯr-ij How to pronounce forage (audio)
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
2
: to make a search especially for food or supplies
forage for grain
forage for firewood
3
: to get by foraging
forager noun

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