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before - 7 dictionary results

be⋅fore

  [bi-fawr, -fohr]
Use before in a Sentence
–preposition
1. previous to; earlier or sooner than: Phone me before noon.
2. in front of; ahead of; in advance of: his shadow advancing before him; She stood before the window.
3. ahead of; in the future of; awaiting: The golden age is before us.
4. in preference to; rather than: They would die before surrendering.
5. in precedence of, as in order or rank: We put freedom before wealth.
6. in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience.
7. less than; until: used in indicating the exact time: It's ten before three.
8. under the jurisdiction or consideration of: He was summoned before a magistrate.
9. confronted by; in the face of: Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply.
10. in the regard of: a crime before God and humanity.
11. under the overwhelming influence of: bending before the storm.
12. without figuring or deducting: income before deductions.
–adverb
13. in front; in advance; ahead: The king entered with macebearers walking before.
14. in time preceding; previously: If we'd known before, we'd have let you know.
15. earlier or sooner: Begin at noon, not before.
–conjunction
16. previous to the time when: Send the telegram before we go.
17. sooner than; rather than: I will die before I submit.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME beforen, OE beforan, equiv. to be by + foran before (fore fore 1 + -an adv. suffix)

Antonyms:
13. after, behind. 14. afterward. 15. later.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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be·fore   (bĭ-fôr', -fōr')   
adv.  
  1. Earlier in time: They called me the day before.
  2. In front; ahead.
prep.  
  1. Previous to in time; earlier than.
  2. In front of.
  3. In store for; awaiting: The young man's whole life lies before him.
  4. Into or in the presence of: She asked that the visitor be brought before her.
  5. Under the consideration or jurisdiction of: The case is now before the court.
  6. In a position superior to: The prince is before his brother in the line of succession.
conj.  
  1. In advance of the time when: See me before you leave.
  2. Rather than; sooner than: I will die before I will betray my country.

[Middle English bifore, from Old English beforan; see per1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Before

Be*fore"\, prep. [OE. beforen, biforen, before, AS. beforan; pref. be- + foran, fore, before. See Be-, and Fore.]

1. In front of; preceding in space; ahead of; as, to stand before the fire; before the house.

His angel, who shall go Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire. --Milton.

2. Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior to the time when; -- sometimes with the additional idea of purpose; in order that.

Before Abraham was, I am. --John viii. 58.

Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary. --Swift.

Note: Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that. "Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee." --John i. 48.

3. An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.

The golden age . . . is before us. --Carlyle.

4. Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than.

He that cometh after me is preferred before me. --John i. 15.

The eldest son is before the younger in succession. --Johnson.

5. In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.

Abraham bowed down himself before the people. --Gen. xxiii. 12.

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? --Micah vi. 6.

6. Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.

If a suit be begun before an archdeacon. --Ayliffe.

7. Open for; free of access to; in the power of.

The world was all before them where to choose. --Milton.

Before the mast (Naut.), as a common sailor, -- because the sailors live in the forecastle, forward of the foremast.

Before the wind (Naut.), in the direction of the wind and by its impulse; having the wind aft.

Before

Be*fore"\, adv. 1. On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the front; -- opposed to in the rear.

The battle was before and behind. --2 Chron. xiii. 14.

2. In advance. "I come before to tell you." --Shak.

3. In time past; previously; already.

You tell me, mother, what I knew before. --Dryden.

4. Earlier; sooner than; until then.

When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before. --Shak.

Note: Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : before
Spanish: antes (de),
German: (be-)vor,
Japanese: ～より以前に
More Translations »

before 
O.E. beforan, from P.Gmc. *bi- "by" + *forana "from the front," adv. derivative of *fora (see for). Beforehand is M.E., originally two words, specifically a reference to payment in advance. Contrasting before and after in illustrations is from Hogarth (1768).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: be·fore
Function: preposition
1 : in the presence of before me>
2 : to be judged or acted on by before the court> before Congress>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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before

In addition to the idioms beginning with before, also see cart before the horse; cast pearls before swine; look before you leap.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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