foray

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 5, 2008 is: foray • \FOR-ay\ • noun 1 : a sudden or irregular invasion or attack for war or spoils : raid 2 : a brief excursion or attempt especially outside one's accustomed sphere Examples: The book marks the novelist’s first foray into nonfiction. Did you know? "Foray" comes from Middle English “forrayen” and probably traces back to an Anglo-French word that meant “raider” or "forager." It's related to the word "forage," which usually means "to wander in search of food or forage." A "foray," in its earliest sense, was a raid for plunder. Relatively recently, "foray" began to take on a broader meaning. In a sense, a "foray" is still a trip into a foreign territory. These days, though, looting and plundering needn't be involved in a "foray." When you take a "foray," you dabble in an area, occupation, or pastime that's new to you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.