noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈfɒɹ.eɪ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈfɔɹ.eɪ/
New-York-City, Philadelphia:/ˈfɑɹ.eɪ/
Australian:/ˈfɔɹ.æɪ/
rhymes with -ɒɹeɪ
CMU ARPABET:F AO1 R EY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A sudden or irregular incursion in border warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a raid.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A brief excursion or attempt, especially outside one's accustomed sphere.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To participate in a foray.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To do or attempt something outside one's typical area of expertise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To scour an area for goods as part of a foray.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence)
From Middle English forrayen (“to pillage”), a back-formation of forrayour, forreour, forrier (“raider, pillager”), from Old French forrier, fourrier, a derivative of fuerre (“provender, fodder, straw”), from Frankish *fōdar (“fodder, sheath”), from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“fodder, feed, sheath”), from Proto-Indo-European *patrom (“fodder”), *pat- (“to feed”), *pāy- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Cognate with Old High German fuotar (German Futter (“fodder, feed”)), Old English fōdor, fōþer (“food, fodder, covering, case, basket”), Dutch voeder (“forage, food, feed”), Danish foder (“fodder, feed”), Icelandic fóður (“fodder, sheath”). More at fodder, food, forage.
Across languages
Translations
69 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
набег
(nabeg)
— incursion
Catalan:
incursió
— incursion
Czech:
výpad
— incursion
Czech:
nájezd
— incursion
Czech:
útok
— incursion
Dutch:
onverwachte aanval
— incursion
Dutch:
raid
— incursion
Dutch:
verrassingsaanval
— incursion
Estonian:
põige
— incursion
Finnish:
ryöstöretki
— incursion
Finnish:
hyökkäys
— incursion
French:
incursion
— incursion
German:
plötzlicher Überfall
— incursion
German:
überraschender Überfall
— incursion
Ido:
inkurso
— incursion
Irish:
ruathar
— incursion
Italian:
incursione
— incursion
Italian:
scorrazzata
— incursion
Italian:
scorreria
— incursion
Italian:
irruzione
— incursion
Macedonian:
у́пад
(úpad)
— incursion
Māori:
kanohi kitea
— incursion
Māori:
tukinga
— incursion
Māori:
torohē
— incursion
Polish:
najazd
— incursion
Polish:
napad
— incursion
Polish:
wypad
— incursion
Portuguese:
incursão
— incursion
Portuguese:
investida
— incursion
Portuguese:
aposta
— incursion
Romanian:
incursiune
— incursion
Romanian:
raid
— incursion
Russian:
набе́г
(nabég)
— incursion
Russian:
нападе́ние
(napadénije)
— incursion
Spanish:
incursión
— incursion
Swedish:
plundringståg
— incursion
Swedish:
räd
— incursion
Ottoman Turkish:
صویغون
(soygun)
— incursion
Ottoman Turkish:
تاراج
(tarac)
— incursion
Ottoman Turkish:
چاپول
(çapul)
— incursion
Czech:
průnik
— brief excursion or attempt
Estonian:
kõrvalepõige
— brief excursion or attempt
Estonian:
haak
— brief excursion or attempt
Finnish:
yritys
— brief excursion or attempt
Finnish:
kokeilu
— brief excursion or attempt
German:
kurzer Ausfall
— brief excursion or attempt
German:
Streifzug
— brief excursion or attempt
Russian:
вы́лазка
(výlazka)
— brief excursion or attempt
Russian:
попы́тка
(popýtka)
— brief excursion or attempt
Bulgarian:
ограбвам
(ograbvam)
— To pillage; to ravage
Bulgarian:
плячкосвам
(pljačkosvam)
— To pillage; to ravage