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Early

//ˈɜːli// adj, adv, name, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

    "at eleven, we went for an early lunch; she began reading at an early age; his mother suffered an early death"

  2. 2
    Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.

    "You're early today! I don't usually see you before nine o'clock."

  3. 3
    After but close to the start of a period of time.

    "The play "Two Gentlemen of Verona" is one of Shakespeare's early works."

  4. 4
    In the starting hours of the day.

    "It's too early for this sort of thing. I'm not awake yet."

  5. 5
    Having begun to occur; in its early stages.

    "early cancer"

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  1. 6
    Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun.
Adjective
  1. 1
    at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time wordnet
  2. 2
    being or occurring at an early stage of development wordnet
  3. 3
    of an early stage in the development of a language or literature wordnet
  4. 4
    very young wordnet
  5. 5
    belonging to the distant past wordnet
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  1. 6
    expected in the near future wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    At a time before expected; sooner than usual.

    "We finished the project an hour sooner than scheduled, so we left early."

  2. 2
    Soon; in good time; seasonably.

    "[T]thoſe that ſeeke me early, ſhall find me."

Adverb
  1. 1
    before the usual time or the time expected wordnet
  2. 2
    in good time wordnet
  3. 3
    during an early stage wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day. informal

    "On my first day on the watch after leaving the shoplifting squad I paraded on earlies but had completely forgotten to take my ear ring off."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English erly, erlich, earlich, from Old English ǣrlīċ (“early”, adjective), equivalent to ere + -ly.

Etymology 2

From Middle English erly, erlich, earlich, from Old English ǣrlīċ (“early”, adjective), equivalent to ere + -ly.

Etymology 3

From Middle English erly, orely, arely, erliche, arliche, from Old English ǣrlīċe, ārlīċe (“early; early in the morning”, adverb), equivalent to ere + -ly. Cognate with Old Norse árliga, árla ( > Danish årle, Swedish arla, Norwegian årle, Faroese árla).

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