n. [ OF. fourage, F. fourrage, fr. forre, fuerre, fodder, straw, F. feurre, fr. LL. foderum, fodrum, of German or Scand, origin; cf. OHG. fuotar, G. futter. See Fodder food, and cf. Foray. ] 1. The act of foraging; search for provisions, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

He [ the lion ] from forage will incline to play. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

One way a band select from forage drives
A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mawhood completed his forage unmolested. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Food of any kind for animals, especially for horses and cattle, as grass, pasture, hay, corn, oats. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Forage cap. See under Cap. --
Forage master (Mil.), a person charged with providing forage and the means of transporting it. Farrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To strip of provisions; to supply with forage; as, to forage steeds. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Foraged ; p. pr. & vb. n. Foraging ] To wander or rove in search of food; to collect food, esp. forage, for horses and cattle by feeding on or stripping the country; to ravage; to feed on spoil. [ 1913 Webster ]

His most mighty father on a hill
Stood smiling to behold his lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French nobility. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Foraging ant (Zool.), one of several species of ants of the genus Eciton, very abundant in tropical America, remarkable for marching in vast armies in search of food. --
Foraging cap, a forage cap. --
Foraging party, a party sent out after forage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who forages. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. forare to bore + -lite. ] (Geol.) A tubelike marking, occuring in sandstone and other strata. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. L. Foramina E. Foramines [ L., fr. forare to bore, pierce. ] A small opening, perforation, or orifice; a fenestra. [ 1913 Webster ]

Foramen of Monro (Anat.), the opening from each lateral into the third ventricle of the brain. --
Foramen of Winslow (Anat.), the opening connecting the sac of the omentum with the general cavity of the peritoneum. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. foraminatus. ] Having small opening, or foramina. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of the Foraminifera. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. L. foramen, -aminis, a foramen + ferre to bear. ] (Zool.) An extensive order of rhizopods which generally have a chambered calcareous shell formed by several united zooids. Many of them have perforated walls, whence the name. Some species are covered with sand. See Rhizophoda. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having small openings, or foramina. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to, or composed of, Foraminifera; as, foraminiferous mud. [ 1913 Webster ]