m. [fór, fóre before; steal from stellan to leap, spring; therefore, at least originally, an assault, consisting in one man springing or placing himself before another, so as to obstruct his progress, Thorpe's Glos. to A. Sax. Laws]. I. an assault; assultus sŭper ălĭquem in via rēgia factus, viæ obstructio :-- Gif hwá forsteal oððon openne wiðercwyde ongeán lahriht Cristes oððe cyninges gewyrce if any one commit an assault or open opposition against the law of Christ or of the king, L. Eth. II. the fine for an assault; mulcta pro assultu :-- Ðis syndon ða gerihta ðe se cyning áh ofer ealle men on West-Sexan [MS. Wes-Sexan], ðæt is ... fórsteal these are the rights which the king enjoys over all men in Wessex, that is ... the fine for assault, L. C. S. 12; Th. i. 382, 14, note 27, MS. G. Switelige ic hér hwæt se eáca is ðe ic ðǽrto ge-unnen hæbbe ... ðæt syndan fórsteallas I here declare what the augmentation is which I have thereto granted ... that is the fines for assaults, Th. Diplm. A.D. 1035; 333, 32: A.D. 1066; 411, 32. See also Schmid Glos. forsteal. for-steal