foray

Meanings

Noun

• A sudden or irregular incursion in border warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a raid.
• A brief excursion or attempt, especially outside one's accustomed sphere.

Verb

• To scour (an area or place) for food, treasure, booty etc.
• To pillage; to ravage.

Origin

• From Middle English forrayen, a back-formation of forrayour, forreour, forrier, from Old French forrier, fourrier, a derivative of fuerre, from Frankish *fōdar, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą, from Proto-Indo-European *patrom, *pat-, *pāy-. Cognate with Old High German fuotar (German Futter), Old English fōdor, fōþor, Dutch voeder, Danish foder, Icelandic fóður. More at fodder, food, forage.