forage

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: for=age

CIDE DICTIONARY

forage, n. [OF. fourage, F. fourrage, fr. forre, fuerre, fodder, straw, F. feurre, fr. LL. foderum, fodrum, of German or Scand, origin; cf. OHG. fuotar, G. futter. See Fodder food, and cf. Foray.].

•  The act of foraging; search for provisions, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  "He [the lion] from forage will incline to play."  [1913 Webster]

  "One way a band select from forage drives
  A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine."  [1913 Webster]

  "Mawhood completed his forage unmolested."  [1913 Webster]
•  Food of any kind for animals, especially for horses and cattle, as grass, pasture, hay, corn, oats.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

Forage cap. See under Cap. -- Forage master (Mil.), a person charged with providing forage and the means of transporting it. Farrow.

forage, v. i. 

 To wander or rove in search of food; to collect food, esp. forage, for horses and cattle by feeding on or stripping the country; to ravage; to feed on spoil.  [1913 Webster]
"His most mighty father on a hill
Stood smiling to behold his lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French nobility."  [1913 Webster]

Foraging ant (Zoöl.), one of several species of ants of the genus Eciton, very abundant in tropical America, remarkable for marching in vast armies in search of food. -- Foraging cap, a forage cap. -- Foraging party, a party sent out after forage.

forage, v. t. 

 To strip of provisions; to supply with forage; as, to forage steeds.  Pope.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

forage, n. & v.
--n.
1 food for horses and cattle.
2 the act or an instance of searching for food.
--v.
1 intr. go searching; rummage (esp. for food).
2 tr. collect food from; ravage.
3 tr. a get by foraging. b supply with food.

Idiom

forage cap an infantry undress cap.

Derivative

forager n.

Etymology

ME f. OF fourrage, fourrager, rel. to FODDER

THESAURUS

forage

barley, beat, beat the bushes, bird seed, board, bran, bread, bunker, burrow, cat food, cater, chicken feed, chop, coal, comb, corn, delve, depredate, despoil, dig, dine, dog food, domiciliary visit, dragnet, eatage, ensilage, exploration, explore, feed, fill up, fleece, fodder, foray, freeboot, frisk, fuel, gas, gas up, go through, grain, grass, gratify, graze, gut, hay, house-search, hunt, hunting, look around, look round, look through, loot, maraud, mash, meal, meat, mess, nose around, oats, oil, pasturage, pasture, perquisition, pet food, pillage, plunder, poke, poke around, posse, prey on, probe, provender, provision, pry, purvey, quest, raid, ransack, ransacking, ravage, raven, ravish, regale, reive, research, rifle, root, rummage, sack, satisfy, scratch, scratch feed, search, search party, search through, search warrant, search-and-destroy operation, searching, sell, silage, slops, smell around, spoil, spoliate, stalk, stalking, still hunt, straw, sustain, sweep, swill, top off, turning over, victual, wheat, wine and dine

ROGET THESAURUS

forage

Provision

VB provide, make provision, make due provision for, lay in, lay in a stock, lay in a store, supply, suppeditate, furnish, find, find one in, arm, cater, victual, provision, purvey, forage, beat up for, stock, stock with, make good, replenish, fill, fill up, recruit, feed, have in store, have in reserve, keep, keep by one, keep on foot, keep on hand, have to fall back upon, store, provide against a rainy day.

Stealing

VB steal, thieve, rob, mug, purloin, pilfer, filch, prig, bag, nim, crib, cabbage, palm, abstract, appropriate, plagiarize, convey away, carry off, abduct, kidnap, crimp, make off with, walk off with, run off with, run away with, spirit away, seize, plunder, pillage, rifle, sack, loot, ransack, spoil, spoliate, despoil, strip, sweep, gut, forage, levy blackmail, pirate, pickeer, maraud, lift cattle, poach, smuggle, run, badger, bail up, hold up, stick up, bunco, bunko, filibuster, swindle, peculate, embezzle, sponge, mulct, rook, bilk, pluck, pigeon, fleece, defraud, obtain under false pretenses, live by one's wits, rob Peter to pay Paul, borrow of Peter to pay Paul, set a thief to catch a thief, disregard the distinction between meum and tuum, fence, launder, launder money.

Food

N food, eating, deglutition, gulp, epulation, mastication, manducation, rumination, gluttony, hippophagy, ichthyophagy, (appetite), mouth, jaws, mandible, mazard, gob, chops, drinking, potation, draught, libation, carousal, drunkenness, food, pabulum, aliment, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, sustentation, sustention, nurture, subsistence, provender, corn, feed, fodder, provision, ration, keep, commons, board, commissariat, prey, forage, pasture, pasturage, fare, cheer, diet, dietary, regimen, belly timber, staff of life, bread, bread and cheese, comestibles, eatables, victuals, edibles, ingesta, grub, grubstake, prog, meat, bread, bread stuffs, cerealia, cereals, viands, cates, delicacy, dainty, creature comforts, contents of the larder, fleshpots, festal board, ambrosia, good cheer, good living, beef, bisquit, bun, cornstarch, cookie, cooky, cracker, doughnut, fatling, hardtack, hoecake, hominy, mutton, pilot bread, pork, roti, rusk, ship biscuit, veal, joint, piece de resistance, roast and boiled, remove, entremet, releve, hash, rechauffe, stew, ragout, fricassee, mince, pottage, potage, broth, soup, consomme, puree, spoonmeat, pie, pasty, volauvent, pudding, omelet, pastry, sweets, kickshaws, condiment, appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, main course, entree, alligator pear, apple, apple slump, artichoke, ashcake, griddlecake, pancake, flapjack, atole, avocado, banana, beche de mer, barbecue, beefsteak, beet root, blackberry, blancmange, bloater, bouilli, bouillon, breadfruit, chop suey, chowder, chupatty, clam, compote, damper, fish, frumenty, grapes, hasty pudding, ice cream, lettuce, mango, mangosteen, mince pie, oatmeal, oyster, pineapple, porridge, porterhouse steak, salmis, sauerkraut, sea slug, sturgeon ("Albany beef"), succotash, supawn, trepang, vanilla, waffle, walnut, table, cuisine, bill of fare, menu, table d'hote, ordinary, entree, meal, repast, feed, spread, mess, dish, plate, course, regale, regalement, refreshment, entertainment, refection, collation, picnic, feast, banquet, junket, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, dejeuner, bever, tiffin, dinner, supper, snack, junk food, fast food, whet, bait, dessert, potluck, table d'hote, dejeuner a la fourchette, hearty meal, square meal, substantial meal, full meal, blowout, light refreshment, bara, chotahazri, bara khana, mouthful, bolus, gobbet, morsel, sop, sippet, drink, beverage, liquor, broth, soup, potion, dram, draught, drench, swill, nip, sip, sup, gulp, wine, spirits, liqueur, beer, ale, malt liquor, Sir John Barleycorn, stingo, heavy wet, grog, toddy, flip, purl, punch, negus, cup, bishop, wassail, gin, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, tea, the cup that cheers but not inebriates, bock beer, lager beer, Pilsener beer, schenck beer, Brazil tea, cider, claret, ice water, mate, mint julep, near beer, 2 beer, non- alcoholic beverage, eating house, diner, hippophage, glutton, eatable, edible, esculent, comestible, alimentary, cereal, cibarious, dietetic, culinary, nutritive, nutritious, gastric, succulent, potable, potulent, bibulous, omnivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous, granivorous, graminivorous, phytivorous, ichthyivorous, omophagic, omophagous, pantophagous, phytophagous, xylophagous, across the walnuts and the wine, blessed hour of our dinners!, now good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!, who can cloy the hungry edge of appetite?.