|
(), a.[OE., p. p. of forlesen to lose utterly, AS. forlesan (p. p. forloren); pref. for- + lesan (in comp.) to lose; cf. D. verliezen to lose, G. verlieren, Sw. frlora, Dan. forloren, Goth. fraliusan to lose. See For-, and Lorn, a., Lose, v. t.] 1. Deserted; abandoned; lost. Of fortune and of hope at once forlorn. Spenser. Some say that ravens foster forlorn children. Shak. 2. Destitute; helpless; in pitiful plight; wretched; miserable; almost hopeless; desperate. For here forlorn and lost I tread. Goldsmith. The condition of the besieged in the mean time was forlorn in the extreme. Prescott. She cherished the forlorn hope that he was still living. Thomson. A forlorn hope [D. verloren hoop, prop., a lost band or troop; verloren, p. p. of verliezen to lose + hoop band; akin to E. heap. See For-, and Heap.] (Mil.), a body of men (called in F. enfants perdus, in G. verlornen posten) selected, usually from volunteers, to attempt a breach, scale the Forlorn" n. 1. A lost, forsaken, or solitary person. Forced to live in Scotland a forlorn. Shak. 2. A forlorn hope; a vanguard. [Obs.] Our forlorn of horse marched within a mile of the enemy. Oliver Cromvell. スポンサード リンク
|