My mother was half a witch; never anything that she forespake but
came to pass.
Beau. & Fl.
Fore"speak`ing, n. A prediction; also, a preface. [Obs.] Camden.
Huloet.
Fore"speech` (?), n. A preface. [Obs.] Sherwood.
Fore*spent" (?), a. [Fore + spent.] Already spent; gone by; past.
[Obs.] Shak.
Fore*spent", a. [Obs.] See Forspent.
Fore*spur"rer (?), n. One who rides before; a harbinger. [Obs.] Shak.
For"est (?), n. [OF. forest, F. forÍt, LL. forestis, also, forestus,
forestum, foresta, prop., open ground reserved for the chase, fr. L.
foris, foras, out of doors, abroad. See Foreign.] 1. An extensive wood;
a large tract of land covered with trees; in the United States, a wood
of native growth, or a tract of woodland which has never been
cultivated.
2. (Eng. Law) A large extent or precinct of country, generally waste
and woody, belonging to the sovereign, set apart for the keeping of
game for his use, not inclosed, but distinguished by certain limits,
and protected by certain laws, courts, and officers of its own.
Burrill.
For"est, a. Of or pertaining to a forest; sylvan.
Forest fly. (Zoˆl.) (a) One of numerous species of blood-sucking flies,
of the family TabanidÊ, which attack both men and beasts. See Horse
fly. (b) A fly of the genus Hippobosca, esp. H. equina. See Horse tick.
-- Forest glade, a grassy space in a forest. Thomson. -- Forest laws,
laws for the protection of game, preservation of timber, etc., in
forests. -- Forest tree, a tree of the forest, especially a timber
tree, as distinguished from a fruit tree.
For"est, v. t. To cover with trees or wood.
Fore"staff` (?), n. (Naut.) An instrument formerly used at sea for
taking the altitudes of heavenly bodies, now superseded by the sextant;
-- called also cross-staff. Brande & C.
For"est*age (?), n. [Cf. F. forestage.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) A duty or
tribute payable to the king's foresters. (b) A service paid by
foresters to the king.
For"est*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to forests; as, forestal rights.
Fore*stall" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Forestalled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forestalling.] [OE. forstallen to stop, to obstruct; to stop (goods) on
the way to the market by buying them beforehand, from forstal
obstruction, AS. forsteal, foresteall, prop., a placing one's self
before another. See Fore, and Stall.] 1. To take beforehand, or in
advance; to anticipate.
What need a man forestall his date of grief, And run to meet what
he would most avoid?
Milton.
2. To take possession of, in advance of some one or something else, to
the exclusion or detriment of the latter; to get ahead of; to
preoccupy; also, to exclude, hinder, or prevent, by prior occupation,
or by measures taken in advance.
<! p. 585 !>
An ugly serpent which forestalled their way.
Fairfax.
But evermore those damsels did forestall Their furious encounter.
Spenser.
To be forestalled ere we come to fall.
Shak.
Habit is a forestalled and obstinate judge.
Rush.