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58 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]


  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              His angel, who shall go
              Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire. --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior
        to the time when; -- sometimes with the additional idea of
        purpose; in order that.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Before Abraham was, I am.             --John viii.
                                                    58.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Before this treatise can become of use, two points
              are necessary.                        --Swift.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that.
           ``Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee.''
           --John i. 48.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The golden age . . . is before us.    --Carlyle.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or
        worth; rather than.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He that cometh after me is preferred before me.
                                                    --John i. 15.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The eldest son is before the younger in succession.
                                                    --Johnson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Abraham bowed down himself before the people. --Gen.
                                                    xxiii. 12.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? --Micah vi.
                                                    6.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              If a suit be begun before an archdeacon. --Ayliffe.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     7. Open for; free of access to; in the power of.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The world was all before them where to choose.
                                                    --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]


  Before \Be*fore"\, adv.
     1. On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the
        front; -- opposed to in the rear.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The battle was before and behind.     --2 Chron.
                                                    xiii. 14.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. In advance. ``I come before to tell you.'' --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. In time past; previously; already.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              You tell me, mother, what I knew before. --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Earlier; sooner than; until then.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a
              drop before.                          --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as,
           before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid.
           [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]


  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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]


  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.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 : [ wn ]


  before
       adv 1: earlier in time; previously; "I had known her before"; "as I
              said before"; "he called me the day before but your
              call had come even earlier"; "her parents had died
              four years earlier"; "I mentioned that problem
              earlier" [syn: earlier]
       2: at or in the front; "I see the lights of a town ahead"; "the
          road ahead is foggy"; "staring straight ahead"; "we
          couldn't see over the heads of the people in front"; "with
          the cross of Jesus marching on before" [syn: ahead, in
          front]

From Greek Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-el-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  before
     Αγγλικά adv.
     1 πριν
     2 (ετ επίσημο en) μπροστά, κάποιος ή κάτι βρίσκεται σε θέση μπροστά
  σε κάποιον ή κάτι
     3 μπροστά σε, είμαι παρουσία κάποιου που ακούει, παρακολουθεί κτλ.
     Αγγλικά conj.
     πριν
     Αγγλικά prep.
     1 πριν
     2 (ετ επίσημο en) μπροστά, κάποιος ή κάτι βρίσκεται σε θέση μπροστά
  σε κάποιον ή κάτι
     3 μπροστά σε, είμαι παρουσία κάποιου που ακούει, παρακολουθεί κτλ.

From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  before
     adv.
     1 At an earlier time.
     2 In advance.
     3 At the front end.
     conj.
     In advance of the time when.
     prep.
     1 Earlier than (in time).
     2 In front of in space.

From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]


  before
     adv.
     1 At an earlier time.
     2 In advance.
     3 At the front end.
     conj.
     In advance of the time when.
     prep.
     1 Earlier than (in time).
     2 In front of in space.

From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]


  before
     adv.
     1 At an earlier time.
     2 In advance.
     3 At the front end.
     conj.
     In advance of the time when.
     prep.
     1 Earlier than (in time).
     2 In front of in space.

From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]


  before
     adv.
     1 At an earlier time.
     2 In advance.
     3 At the front end.
     conj.
     In advance of the time when.
     prep.
     1 Earlier than (in time).
     2 In front of in space.

From Finnish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-fi-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  before
     Englanti adv.
     1 aikaisemmin
     2 ennen
     Englanti conj.
     (aliskonj: k=en) ennen, kuin
     Englanti prep.
     1 ennen
     2 edessä, edellä

From Swedish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-sv-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  before
     Engelska conj.
     innan
     Engelska prep.
     1 före, innan
     2 framför; inför

From English-Afrikaans FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 : [ freedict:eng-afr ]


  before /bɪfˈɔː/
  1. voor
  2. alvorens, voor dat

From English-Arabic FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.6.3 : [ freedict:eng-ara ]


  Before /bɪfˈɔː/
  فيما مضى

From English-български език FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-bul ]


  before //biˈfɔɹ// //bəˈfɔɹ// //bɪˈfo(ː)ɹ// //bɪˈfoə// //bɪˈfɔː// 
  1. преди
  at an earlier time
  2. предварително
  in advance

From English-български език FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-bul ]


  before //biˈfɔɹ// //bəˈfɔɹ// //bɪˈfo(ː)ɹ// //bɪˈfoə// //bɪˈfɔː// 
  1. преди да
  in advance of the time when
  2. преди
  rather or sooner than

From English-български език FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-bul ]


  before //biˈfɔɹ// //bəˈfɔɹ// //bɪˈfo(ː)ɹ// //bɪˈfoə// //bɪˈfɔː// 
  1. преди
  earlier than
  2. пред 2.
  in front of according to an ordering system
   3.
  in front of in space
   4.
  at a higher or greater position in a subjective ranking
   5.
  in store for, in the future of
   6.
  under consideration, judgment, authority of