a. [ OE., p. p. of forlesen to lose utterly, AS. forleósan (p. p. forloren); pref. for- + leósan (in comp.) to lose; cf. D. verliezen to lose, G. verlieren, Sw. förlora, Dan. forloren, Goth. fraliusan to lose. See For-, and Lorn, a., Lose, v. t. ] 1. Deserted; abandoned; lost. [ 1913 Webster ] Of fortune and of hope at once forlorn. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ] Some say that ravens foster forlorn children. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Destitute; helpless; in pitiful plight; wretched; miserable; almost hopeless; desperate. [ 1913 Webster ] For here forlorn and lost I tread. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ] The condition of the besieged in the mean time was forlorn in the extreme. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ] She cherished the forlorn hope that he was still living. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]
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 wall of a fortress, or perform other extraordinarily perilous service; also, a desperate case or enterprise.
Syn. -- Destitute, lost; abandoned; forsaken; solitary; helpless; friendless; hopeless; abject; wretched; miserable; pitiable. [ 1913 Webster ] | 
