forsee

English

Etymology

From Middle English forseen, forsen, from Old English forsēon (“to look down upon, despise”), equivalent to for- +‎ see. Compare Old Saxon farsehan, Old High German farsehan (Middle High German versehen).

Verb

forsee (third-person singular simple present forsees, present participle forseeing, simple past forsaw, past participle forseen)

1. (transitive, UK dialectal, Scotland) To neglect; overlook; disregard; despise.
   • 1882, Victor Roy, A Masonic Poem by Harriet Annie Wilkins:

     Could I forsee the sunken rocks of life?

2. Alternative spelling of foresee
   • 1841, Gordon, History of Scots Affairs, from 1637 - 1641 (quote from 1638):

     The reasone why the Commissioner did so muche presse the reading of the declinator was, because he forsaw that they meant to putt him to a dilemma which still should bring ane inconvenience along with it [...]

3. (transitive, UK dialectal, Scotland) To oversee; superintend; direct.

See also

• foresee

References

• OED 2nd edition 1989
• Wright, The English Dialect Dictionary, Forsee.

Anagrams

• Forees, Froese