different between ambush vs foray

English

Etymology

From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”), from Frankish *busk (“bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush, heavy stick”). Compare ambuscade. The change to am- from earlier forms in en- is unexplained. More at bush.

Pronunciation

• (General Australian, US, UK) IPA^(key): /?æm.b??/

Noun

ambush (plural ambushes)

1. The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack by surprise.
2. An attack launched from a concealed position.
3. The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; those who lie in wait.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

ambush (third-person singular simple present ambushes, present participle ambushing, simple past and past participle ambushed)

1. (transitive) To station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy.
   • 1665, John Dryden, The Indian Emperour

     By ambush'd men behind their temple laid / We have the king of Mexico betray'd.

2. (transitive) To attack by ambush; to waylay.

Derived terms

• ambushable

Translations

Further reading

• ambush at OneLook Dictionary Search
• ambush in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Alternative forms

• forrey (15th century)

Etymology

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 *f?dar (“fodder, sheath”), from Proto-Germanic *f?dr? (“fodder, feed, sheath”), from Proto-Indo-European *patrom (“fodder”), *pat- (“to feed”), *p?y- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Cognate with Old High German fuotar (German Futter (“fodder, feed”)), Old English f?dor, f?þor (“food, fodder, covering, case, basket”), Dutch voeder (“forage, food, feed”), Danish foder (“fodder, feed”), Icelandic fóður (“fodder, sheath”). More at fodder, food, forage.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f?.?e?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?f???.e?/
• Rhymes: -e?

Noun

foray (plural forays)

1. A sudden or irregular incursion in border warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a raid.
2. A brief excursion or attempt, especially outside one's accustomed sphere.

Translations

Verb

foray (third-person singular simple present forays, present participle foraying, simple past and past participle forayed)

1. (transitive) To scour (an area or place) for food, treasure, booty etc.
2. (intransitive) To pillage; to ravage.

Translations