adv earlier ○ I didn’t see him last week, I saw him the week before. ○ Why didn’t you tell me before? ■ prep earlier than ○ They should have arrived before now. ○ You must be home before 9 o’clock. ○ G comes before H in the alphabet. □ before that earlier than that ○ He only came into work at ten, so what did he do before that? ■ conj earlier than ○ The police got there before I did. ○ Think carefully before you start to answer the exam questions. ○ Wash your hands before you have your dinner. ○ Before you sit down, can you switch on the light?
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.” 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.
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.” 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.
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.” Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid.
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.” Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid.
Before long the young lions had reached the dark, mysterious place beyound the borders of the Pride Lands.
The scentence about “The Lion King”.
Meaning of “before” in English language – adv earlier ○ I didn’t see him last week...
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