foray

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noun

for·​ay ˈfȯr-ˌā How to pronounce foray (audio)
ˈfär-,
 also  fȯ-ˈrā,
 or  fə-ˈrā
plural forays
1
: a sudden or irregular invasion or attack for war or spoils : raid
a foray into enemy territory
attempted sneak and surprise foraysD. D. Eisenhower
2
: an initial and often tentative attempt to do something in a new or different field or area of activity
the novelist's foray into nonfiction
Torres spearheaded his family's first foray into international wine production by purchasing land in Chile's Curicó Valley in 1979.Michael Schachner

foray

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verb

forayed; foraying; forays
1
intransitive : to make a raid or brief invasion
forayed into enemy territory
Nicaraguan troops were foraying along the frontier …George Russell
2
intransitive : to do or attempt something outside one's accustomed sphere : to enter into a new or different field or area of activity
Tesla, known for its high-end electric cars, has forayed into the trucking industry with a Nov. 16 reveal of its latest prototype, the Tesla Semi.Meagan Nichols
3
transitive archaic : to ravage in search of spoils : pillage
forayer noun
plural forayers

Did you know?

For centuries, foray referred only to a sudden or irregular invasion or attack, but in the late 19th century it began to venture into gentler semantic territory. While the newer sense of foray still involves a trek into a foreign territory, the travel is figurative: when you make this kind of foray, you dabble in an area, occupation, or pastime that’s new to you. Take the particularly apt example (stay tuned) of mushroom hunting. The likely ancestor of foray is an Anglo-French word referring to the violent sort who do invasion forays, but that word could also refer to a forager—that is, one who wanders in search of food. (Forage has the same etymological source.) Interestingly, foray has seen a resurgence of use connected to its foraging roots, as evidenced by the growing popularity of mycophile-led mushroom “forays” that have been lately popping up like toadstools.

Examples of foray in a Sentence

Noun a foray into enemy territory We made a quick foray into town for some supplies. Vikings foraying into the village
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
That's been the rule, with Conor McGregor's foray into boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017 being the only exception. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Other forays into education included her role as a member of the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
The film will also examine the former lyricist’s return to his home country and foray into politics, including him being appointed Prime Minister of Belize. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 23 Oct. 2024 The Roman jeweler first forayed into watchmaking with the time-only Serpenti in the 1940s but has since expanded into producing more avant-garde timepieces with complicated movements. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foray 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English forrayen, from Anglo-French forreyer, foreer, probably back-formation from *forrier, *forreour forager, raider, from fuerre, foer provender — more at forage

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

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

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Dictionary Entries Near foray

Cite this Entry

“Foray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foray. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

foray

verb
for·​ay
ˈfȯr-ˌā
: to raid especially in order to steal : pillage
foray noun

More from Merriam-Webster on foray

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