forayer
(ˈfɒreɪə(r))
Forms: 4 forrier, forreyer, ferrour, 4–5 forrayour, forrour, 4–6 -eour, 5 -ear, ferriour, -your, foreyour, 7 forreiar, 9 forayer.
[from two different sources: ME. forrier is a. OF. forrier, (see also fourrier, furrier1):—med.L. type *fodrārius, f. *fodro fodder (see forage n.); ME. forrour, forreour, is a. OF. forreor, agent-n. f. forrer to forage. The two words coalesced, the trisyllabic forms alone surviving, and were regarded as the agent-n. belonging to foray v.]
1. One who forays; a forager, a raider.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 13228 He was cheftayn of fforreyers [orig. foriers]. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. viii. xl. 144 Ðe Forryowris þare hard ware sete. 1600 Holland Livy ii. xxxix. (1609) 69 Sending with forreiars certaine guides. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. iv. xvii, Light forayers, first, to view the ground, Spurr'd their fleet coursers loosely round. |
† 2. A fore-goer, harbinger, messenger, or courier.
| 1340 Ayenb. 195 Þe guode forriers þet nimeþ and agrayþeþ þet hous of paradys to þe riche manne. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 80 Kynd..sent forth his foreioures [v.rr. forreyours, forreouris, forreores] feures & fluxes [etc.]. 1549 Compl. Scot. xi. 99 Thai var re[n]contrit be the forreours and exploratours of the romanis. |