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Webster 1913 Edition


Foray

For′ay

(fŏr′ā̍ or fō̍-rā′; 277)
,
Noun.
[Another form of
forahe
. Cf.
Forray
.]
A sudden or irregular incursion in border warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a raid.
Spenser.
The huge Earl Doorm, . . .
Bound on a
foray
, rolling eyes of prey.
Tennyson.

For′ay

,
Verb.
T.
To pillage; to ravage.
He might
foray
our lands.
Sir W. Scott.

Definition 2024


foray

foray

English

Alternative forms

  • forrey (15th century)

Noun

foray (plural forays)

  1. A sudden or irregular incursion in border warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a raid.
  2. A brief excursion or attempt, especially outside one's accustomed sphere.
    • 2011 September 27, Alistair Magowan, “Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
      Bastian Schweinsteiger and Muller were among many who should have added the third, and City were limited to rare forays with the excellent Boateng pinching the ball off Aguero and Aleksandar Kolarov shooting wide in stoppage time.

Translations

Verb

foray (third-person singular simple present forays, present participle foraying, simple past and past participle forayed)

  1. (transitive) To scour (an area or place) for food, treasure, booty etc.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter ix, in Le Morte Darthur, book V:
      Thenne on a tyme the kynge called syr florence a knyght / and sayd to hym they lacked vytaylle / and not ferre from hens ben grete forestes and woodes / wherin ben many of myn enemyes with moche bestyayl / I wyl that thou make the redy and goo thyder in foreyeng / and take with the syr Gawayn my neuew
  2. (intransitive) To pillage; to ravage.

Translations