fortread

English

Etymology

From Middle English fortreden, from Old English fortredan (“to tread down, trample on”), from Proto-Germanic *fratredaną, *fratrudaną (“to trample”), equivalent to for- +‎ tread. Compare Saterland Frisian fertreede, Dutch vertreden (“to trample”), German Low German vertreden, German vertreten ("to represent"; < Old High German firtretan (“to trample”)).

Verb

fortread (third-person singular simple present fortreads, present participle fortreading, simple past fortrod, past participle fortrodden)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To tread down; tread underfoot; trample upon; crush; destroy by trampling.