afore

C2+ Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /əˈfɔr/ UK /əˈfɔː/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

prep
before, in place or time (archaic or dialectal)

He vowed to finish the harvest afore the first frost.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 prep · before, in place or time... before previously beforehand ere formerly

Opposites

after behind afterward

Word family

Derived forms aforehand aforesaid aforementionedaforetime

Related forms before fore forward

Etymology

From Middle English afore, from Old English onforan ('before, in front of'), from on ('on, in') + foran ('in front'), from fore ('before').

onforan Old English fore Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words Register & Style

External links

# afore

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** prep
**IPA (US):** /əˈfɔr/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈfɔː/

## Meanings
1. before, in place or time (archaic or dialectal)

## Examples
- He vowed to finish the harvest afore the first frost.

## Synonyms
- before
- previously
- beforehand
- ere
- formerly

## Antonyms
- after
- behind
- afterward

## Derived Forms
- aforehand
- aforesaid
- aforementioned
- aforetime

## Related Forms
- before
- fore
- forward

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: onforan
- Root: fore

## Etymology
From Middle English afore, from Old English onforan ('before, in front of'), from on ('on, in') + foran ('in front'), from fore ('before').

## AI Etymology
Afore is a preposition, adverb and conjunction meaning "before, in place or time (archaic or dialectal)". Historically, it is from Middle English afore, from Old English onforan ('before, in front of'), from on ('on, in') + foran ('in front'), from fore ('before'). The visible construction is part of the etymology: afore is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Old English onforan with Old English fore. Close English family members include aforehand, aforesaid, aforementioned, aforetime, and before.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words
- Register & Style

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