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early

[ur-lee]

Example Sentences Origin

adverb

in or during the first part of a period of time, a course of action, a series of events, etc.: early in the year.

in the early part of the morning: to get up early.

before the usual or appointed time; ahead of time: They came early and found their hosts still dressing.

far back in time: The Greeks early learned to sail and navigate.

adjective

occurring in the first part of a period of time, a course of action, a series of events, etc.: an early hour of the day.

occurring before the usual or appointed time: an early dinner.

belonging to a period far back in time: early French architecture.

occurring in the near future: I look forward to an early reply.

(of a fruit or vegetable) appearing or maturing before most others of its type: early apples.

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Early is always a great word to know.

So is slumgullion. Does it mean:

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

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noun

10.

a fruit or vegetable that appears before most others of its type.

Idiom

11.

early on, with but little time elapsed; early in the course of a process, project, etc.; early in the game.

Origin:
before 950; Middle English erlich (adj.), erliche (adv.), Old English ǣrlīc, ǣrlīce, mutated variant of ārlīc, ārlīce, equivalent to ār- early (positive of ǣr ere) + līc(e) -ly

Related forms

ear·li·ness, noun

Synonyms
5. initial. 6. beforehand, premature.

Example Sentences

Early can take the turn wide open, pencil to the metal, without spinning out.

Especially if your semester hasn't started yet, it probably seems a bit early to think about grading.

Freud, on this reading, was right about the importance of early experience on character formation.

EXPAND

Early can take the turn wide open, pencil to the metal, without spinning out.

Especially if your semester hasn't started yet, it probably seems a bit early to think about grading.

Freud, on this reading, was right about the importance of early experience on character formation.

Basic early warning systems are being set up in the affected areas.

Astronomers have peered billions of years back in time to make detailed maps of the early cosmos.

In the early years, it was a pro-labor group that joined protesters in the field but seldom got involved in court battles.

Plant in early spring in cold-winter regions, autumn in mild climates.

The mystery of why galaxies formed early in the history of the universe give birth to more stars than modern ones has been solved.

Early childhood education can go a long way toward fixing this problem-but only if it's high-quality early childhood education.

Christianity could be a dangerous calling during the faith's early years.

New study confirms importance of early behavioral intervention in treating the disorder.

They're more beautiful and they're not as angry and violent as the early ones.

Plant dormant roots or plants from containers in winter or early spring.

The newfound species may have been a staple of some early humans.

Early humans living about one million years ago were extremely close to extinction.

Plant corms of baby gladiolus in fall or early spring for flowers in late spring.

The more stems you cut to the ground in winter or early spring, the more open and arching next year's growth will be.

All types have leathery, glossy bright green leaves and bear handsome clusters of white flowers in early spring.

In mild-winter regions, plant in early spring for a summer crop, in early fall for a winter-into-spring crop.

Meadow rue thrives in the dappled shade of woodland gardens, and blooms in early summer.

On many days in spring and early summer, the sun doesn't break through the high overcast until afternoon.

Long spikes of narrow bright red flowers in spring or early summer.

In cold-winter regions, set out transplants in early spring, or direct sow seeds in late summer for harvest the following year.

Produces large violet daisies with bright orange centers in early summer add to my plant list.

Blooms late spring to early summer, with some scattered bloom until frost.

When leaves drop in late winter or early spring, cut stems back to two buds and reduce watering to minimum.

Blooms from midsummer through early fall longer if warm weather continues.

In early summer, bears yellow flowers with pronounced fragrance of orange-blossom honey.

Mow or cut back annually in early more add to my plant list enlarge.

Blooms early summer to fall-almost all year in mild-winter areas if spent flowers are removed regularly.

L ongtime favorites for colorful, round flowers, typically in summer and early fall.

Increase by divisions in fall or early spring or by root cuttings in spring.

Seeds germinate in early spring in southern climates, later in northern areas.

Plant again in late summer and early autumn for fall crops.

Profuse, fragrant yellow flowers in early to midwinter.

Apply fertilizer on cloudy days early in the morning, late in the day, or when rain or cool weather is forecast.

To rejuvenate an entire plant, cut it to the ground in early spring, before leaves appear.

More patients are making early exits from the hospital, against doctors' advice, new government data show.

Both universities moved away from early admissions.

One negative effect of early marriage is the exclusion of women from education in favour of domestic work and child rearing.

Even at this early stage it struck me as unlikely that a civilization could have declined continuously for a thousand years.

Unless completely certain of your choice, making an early decision and committing to a college is always a tough decision to make.

They may not achieve the power and glory they have ached for since the industry's early days.

Such monitoring may enable scientists to spot emerging infectious diseases early enough to prevent them from becoming pandemics.

It's still early sunday morning, but the air is filled with the whine of chain saws.

What to plant in early spring and late summer for fall and winter harvests.

Since the early days of paleontology various experts have proposed a.

By studying fossilized teeth, researchers have been able to learn much more about the eating habits of early hominids.

It's probably too early to involve the student conduct board.

It almost came unstuck early on because its bosses were hesitant to abandon punch cards.

Early childhood cognitive/neurological development would seem to have little to do with this fact in a direct sense.

The boys rise early each day and undergo punishing training that leaves muscles bruised and joints sore.

But according to one early report, the number of shoppers.

Iraq experiences its wet season from winter through early spring, with hot, dry summers.

From there he was an early observer and commentator on the phenomenon of globalisation.

Monster black holes served as seeds from which early galaxies sprouted, new research suggests.

If you want to watch the ice palace go up, or even lend a hand, plan to arrive a few weeks early.

Sifting for trends among some colleges' early admission data.

Unfortunately, those early years of parenting usually coincide with the critical early stages of an academic career.

So it was that financial markets, long battered by the ever-worsening euro crisis, rallied early this week amid.

Early birds may be chipper in the morning, but they mentally wear out faster, a new brain-scan study reveals.

Moroccan fossils show that strange early animals were no flash in the pan.

From early settlement days, the cultural arts have been an important component of cities and towns across the state.

Blooms profusely in early summer, sporadically through rest of growing season.

In the early stages of this incident, a lack of clarity.

Kotter's book set out to explore how he did it, through early hardship and a never-ending thirst for learning.

But experts are certain that our early ancestors caught pubic lice from gorillas.

The work raises questions about whether super-Earth-size objects existed in the early history of the outer solar system.

In addition, exposing children to art in the early stages of development stimulates imagination and creativity.

As has occurred before, the number of jobless could carry on rising even in the early stages of recovery.

The implements probably were used by the early people to kill and butcher prey.

Neandertals and early modern humans showed fits and starts of creativity before archaeology's big bang.

The findings, to be published early next year, are sobering.

Now hear this: early mammal fossil shows how sensitive ear bones evolved.

Pancreatic tumors can germinate for a decade before turning deadly, raising hopes for early detection.

After the early blooms fade, prune more heavily so that new shoots will develop for the second round of flowers.

Grow from seed sown in early spring, or divide plants in autumn or early spring.

With age, produces loose clusters of unimportant small, creamy white flowers in early spring and early fall.

June-bearing types bear one crop of high-quality berries each year in late spring or early summer.

They bloom in sunny fields and meadows in spring and early summer.

In low and intermediate desert, plant in fall for outstanding early spring show.

Rosettes of strapshaped basal leaves appear in early spring, fade away after bloom in summer.

Sow seeds in spring, or sow in late summer or early fall for bloom the next year.

Set out transplants or sow seeds where plants are to grow in the garden in early spring.

Many deciduous trees are sold bare-root during the dormant season from late fall through early spring.

In winter or early spring, cut out last year's growth to make way for new stems.

Bloom time comes in late summer to early fall, except as noted.

The beds feature dazzling combinations of spring bulbs and early perennials that bloom simultaneously, some beneath the canopies.

Use a high-nitrogen formula winter to early summer, a low-nitrogen product from late summer through fall.

When plants turn brown in late fall or early winter, cut stems to the ground.

As a last resort, cut the entire vine to the ground in late winter or early spring and start training it all over again.

Magenta-red flowers appear in winter and early spring add to my plant list.

Most species are grown fairly easily from seeds sown in spring or early summer.

Early whales plied the shallows but still hauled themselves onto shore, probably to rest and to give birth.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

Ju·bal Anderson

[joo-buhl] , 1816–94, Confederate general in the U.S. Civil War.

Link To early

Collins

World English Dictionary

early (ˈɜːlɪ)

—*adj* , -lier, -liest
1.	before the expected or usual time
2.	occurring in or characteristic of the first part of a period or sequence
3.	occurring in or characteristic of a period far back in time
4.	occurring in the near future
5.	at the earliest not before the time or date mentioned
6.	early days too soon to tell how things will turn out

—*adv* , -lier, -liest, -lier
7.	before the expected or usual time
8.	near the first part of a period or sequence: I was talking to him earlier

[Old English ǣrlīce, from ǣrere + -līce-ly²; related to Old Norse arliga]

'earliness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

early

O.E. ærlice, from ær "soon, ere" (from P.Gmc. *airiz, from PIE *ayer- "day, morning") + -lice "-ly," adverbial suffix (see -ly (2)). The early bird of the proverb is from 1670s. Related: Earlier; earliest.

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

early

In addition to the idioms beginning with early, also see bright and early.