forage
/ˈfɒrɪdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɔːrɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfȯr-ij ˈfär-/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfɒr.ɪdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɔːr.ɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa)
forage — verb
- foragepresent simple I / you / we / they
- forageshe / she / it
- foragedpast simple
- foraging-ing form
1. to walk or travel from one place to another looking for food, useful items, or s
to walk or travel from one place to another looking for food, useful items, or supplies, especially in natural or damaged environments
The black bear foraged for berries along the riverbank before the cold weather came.
forage + for + [food]
After the earthquake, rescuers foraged through the rubble for survivors and supplies.
forage + through + [place] + for + [thing]
Each morning the goats forage in the meadow before returning to the barn.
The hikers foraged for wild herbs and mushrooms to add to their campfire stew.
During the drought, the elephants had to forage much farther from the river than usual.
文法句型
forage + for + [food/item]
forage + through + [place]
用法筆記
Commonly used for animals searching for food in the wild, but also describes people rummaging through places when supplies are scarce. The transitive use (e.g. "forage the woods") is rare in everyday English; the intransitive pattern with 'for' is much more natural.
常見錯誤
forage — noun
- foragesingular
- foragesplural
1. plant material such as grass, hay, or silage that is grown or gathered as food f
plant material such as grass, hay, or silage that is grown or gathered as food for farm animals such as cows, horses, and sheep
The farmer stored enough forage in the barn to feed the cows through winter.
store + forage
The dairy farmer grows alfalfa and clover as high-quality forage for the herd.
The horses preferred fresh spring forage over the dried hay from last season.
The veterinarian tested the forage for mold before allowing the sheep to eat it.
用法筆記
Refers specifically to rough plant-based feed such as grass, hay, or silage, not to grain-based concentrates or processed feed. Common in agricultural and veterinary contexts.
常見錯誤
2. the activity of moving through an area to look for food, water, or other necessa
the activity of moving through an area to look for food, water, or other necessary items
Early humans depended on daily forage for their survival in the wild.
The documentary showed the nocturnal forage of wild boars in the forest clearing.
nocturnal forage
After the flood, the village organised a collective forage for clean drinking water.
The research team studied the daily forage patterns of honeybees near the sunflower fields.
- scavenging
emphasises finding food among waste or leftover items rather than gathering from nature
- provisioning
focuses on collecting and storing supplies for future use, often by animals or in survival contexts
- hunting
involves pursuing and killing animals for food, not gathering plants or other items
用法筆記
This noun sense is less common in everyday conversation than the verb form. It appears most often in biology, ecology, and survival contexts. The phrase 'on the forage' is occasionally used but sounds literary.