forage
UK[ˈfɒr.ɪdʒ]US[ˈfɔːr.ɪdʒ]
v
To search widely for food or provisions.
n
Food for horses and cattle; fodder.
v
To search for something, especially information, in a determined way.
Morpheme Breakdown
for
age
for
outside
age
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'forage' entered English in the 14th century from Old French forage, fourrage, which meant 'fodder'. This French term derived from the Germanic root fodr, meaning 'food' or 'fodder', which is also the ancestor of the English word 'fodder'. The original sense was the noun for food for livestock. The verb sense, 'to search for food or provisions', developed logically from the act of seeking out such fodder. Over time, its meaning broadened to include searching for any kind of needed items or information, though it retains its strong association with the search for sustenance.
Analysis
Structure: for (outside) + age (noun suffix)
- for: From Old French forre, fuerre (straw, fodder), of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fuotar (food). In this word, it functions as the core root meaning "fodder, provisions".
- age: A noun-forming suffix of Latin origin (-aticum via Old French -age), indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
The deer went to forage in the forest for berries and young shoots.
In winter, farmers provide extra forage for their cattle.
She foraged through the old archives to find the missing document.