forage

Plants or other food eaten by farm animals, especially cows and horses.

• The cattle need more forage.
• Farmers grow forage crops for winter feeding.
• Poor forage quality can affect the horses’ health.

Similar words: fodder, feed

Common phrases: forage crop, fresh forage, forage quality

A trip or search to find food.

• We went on a forage for berries.
• Their morning forage brought them enough mushrooms for dinner.
• The birds returned from a successful forage.

Similar words: food search, foraging trip

Common phrases: a forage, forage for food

To search an area for food and collect it, sometimes for farm animals.

• The birds forage for food.
• We foraged for mushrooms in the woods.
• The villagers foraged for hay to feed their horses.

How to use it: forage for something (They forage for berries in the woods.); forage in something (The animals forage in the forest.)

Similar words: gather, search for food

Common phrases: forage for food, forage for something, forage in something

To take food and supplies from an area, especially to support an army.

• The soldiers foraged for supplies.
• The army foraged the countryside during its advance.
• Troops had foraged nearby farms before reaching the town.

How to use it: forage for something (The troops foraged for supplies in nearby villages.)

Similar words: plunder, raid

Common phrases: forage for supplies, forage the countryside