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

• graze
• pasture

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

Matt Williams, a Michigan deer hunter and mushroom-food plot evangelist, noticed this back in 2023 while working on a paper about mushrooms as deer forage. —Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2025

Exercises focused on how to find and purify water, fish and hunt for animals, forage for edible plants, find dry wood to build a fire and construct palm leaf-sapling lean-to shelters. —Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025

Verb

Guests learn navigation, shelter building, spear making, and foraging for wild foods, along with fire-starting and astro-navigation techniques. —Essence, 20 Oct. 2025

Arctic seals rely on sea ice for breeding and raising their pups, as well as for moulting, resting and accessing foraging areas. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for forage

• borage
• porridge
• storage

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