What does forage mean?
Forage is a word with two closely linked lives: as a noun, it means food for livestock — hay, silage, and other bulky feeds that sustain horses and cattle; as a verb, it means to search widely for food or provisions. The verb has expanded well beyond its rural origins, so people now speak of foraging in the fridge, foraging through second-hand shops for bargains, or foraging for wild mushrooms in the woods. This flexibility gives the word a lively, resourceful connotation: the forager is someone who knows how to find what they need. In agriculture, 'forage crops' such as alfalfa are grown specifically to be eaten by animals rather than humans. Derived forms include 'forager' (one who forages) and 'foraging' (the activity itself). Rooted in medieval French, the word carries echoes of soldiers requisitioning supplies from the countryside, which lends it a faintly adventurous historical flavour.
Bulky food for horses and cattle, such as hay, straw, or silage.
"The drought left the ranch short of forage by late summer."
Chiefly agricultural and military-logistical contexts.
To search widely for food or provisions; also used of animals grazing or seeking food naturally.
"Raccoons forage along the riverbank after dark."
Often extended figuratively to searching through any collection of things.
The plural 'forages' is rare and mainly appears in agricultural writing referring to different kinds or batches of animal feed.
"The agronomist compared several legume forages for dairy use."
Forage comes from the same French root as 'foray' — originally it meant not just finding food but pillaging enemy territory for provisions on horseback.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of forage
Forage derives from Old French 'forage', meaning provision obtained by pillaging, from 'fourre' (fodder, straw), ultimately of Germanic origin and related to words for stuffing or feeding. English adopted the word in the Middle Ages, when it referred to the practice of armies seizing provisions from occupied territory. Its cousin 'foray', meaning a raid, shares this martial heritage. Modern Spanish 'forraje' is a direct Romance cognate still used for animal feed.
Related word forms
How forage is actually used
As a verb, 'forage' is common in both literal contexts (animals searching for food) and figurative ones (people rummaging through cupboards or archives). As a noun, it is chiefly used in agricultural and military-supply contexts. The verb sense is far more frequent in everyday modern usage.
Easily confused with forage
A foray is a sudden raid or an initial venture into a new activity, whereas forage refers to food for livestock or the act of searching for food.