afore

Alternative forms

• affor

Etymology

From Middle English afore, aforn, from Old English onforan or ætforan. (a- +‎ fore)

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈfɔɹ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈfɔː/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /əˈfo(ː)ɹ/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /əˈfoə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)

Adverb

afore (not comparable)

1. (archaic, dialect) Before.
   • 1623, Shakespeare, The Tempest:

     If he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well.

2. (nautical) In the fore part of a ship.

Preposition

afore

1. Before; in advance of the time of.
   • 1989, Edward Chisnall, Bell in the tree; The Glasgow story:

     "Oh aye!" his face lit up with a smile. "I mind that! Where was that?" "That was us when we all worked in the shop, afore the War." "Oh aye …?" he frowned. "Who …?" She took the photograph back from him and reached inside her apron pocket for her spectacles.

2. Before; situated geographically or metaphorically in front of.

Conjunction

afore

1. In advance of the time when; before.
   • 1611 King James Bible (Authorised Version); Ezekiel 33:22

     Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth ...

Derived terms

• afore-

Anagrams

• e-fora

Alternative forms

• affore, affor, afor, avore

Adverb

afore

1. before; afore

Preposition

afore

1. before; afore: in advance of the time of
   • c. 1370–1450, Laurence de Premierfait, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes, as quoted in Lydgate's Fall of Princes (1923, The Carnegie Institution of Washington):

     Affor tyme thei wer but bestiall,

     Till thei to resoun be lawes wer constreyned,

     Vndir discrecioun bi statutis naturall

2. before; afore: situated geographically or metaphorically in front of
   • 1399, Rich. Redeless IV, 72

     and somme were so ffers

     at ffrist come,

     that they bente on a bonet,

     and bare a topte saile

     affor the wynde ffresshely,

     to make a good ffare

Conjunction

afore

1. before; afore: in advance of the time when

Etymology

From Middle English afore. More at English afore.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈfoːr/

Adverb

afore (not comparable)

1. (of place) before, in front
2. (of time) before, previously, in advance

Preposition

afore

1. (of place) before, in front of
2. (of time) before

Conjunction

afore

1. (of place) before, rather than

References

• Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.

Verb

afore

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of aforar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of aforar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of aforar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of aforar.