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Fore-

//fɔː// prefix

Definitions

Prefix
  1. 1
    Before with respect to time; earlier.; Before: the root is happening earlier in time. morpheme

    "foreshadow"

  2. 2
    Used to indicate error, exclusion, or inadequacy; Alternative form of for-. morpheme

    "forelay"

  3. 3
    Alternative form of for-: outside, out. alt-of, alternative, morpheme

    "foreclose"

  4. 4
    Before with respect to time; earlier.; The early stage of the root time period morpheme

    "foredawn"

  5. 5
    Before with respect to time; earlier.; Directly or immediately preceding in time. morpheme

    "forebirth"

Show 15 more definitions
  1. 6
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.; Positioned at or near the front. morpheme

    "forebooth"

  2. 7
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.; The fore of a ship. morpheme

    "forecabin"

  3. 8
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.; Anterior: the frontal part of a body. morpheme

    "forebrain"

  4. 9
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.; Outer: the leading, outward portion of a wave or effort; or a distal part of a body. morpheme

    "forebeam"

  5. 10
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.; Forepart: the front part of an object or area. morpheme

    "forebody"

  6. 11
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.; Near, close to, adjacent in position. morpheme

    "foredune"

  7. 12
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.; Nearest: the part of the root which is nearest/closest. morpheme

    "forebeach"

  8. 13
    Forward in direction.; Forward in temporal direction, anticipating. morpheme

    "foredawn"

  9. 14
    Forward in direction.; Forward in spatial direction. morpheme

    "forehearth"

  10. 15
    Forward in direction.; Outward in spatial direction. morpheme

    "forecry"

  11. 16
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.; Previous or earlier in order or sequence. morpheme

    "foredescribed"

  12. 17
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.; First in order or sequence. morpheme

    "forebell"

  13. 18
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.; Greater in rank, superior morpheme

    "forehand"

  14. 19
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.; Prominent, most important, foremost or greatest in rank morpheme

    "forecolour"

  15. 20
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.; Ancestor, ancestral morpheme

    "forebear"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English fore-, from Old English fore-, from Proto-West Germanic *forē-, from Proto-Germanic *fura-, *furai- (“before, in front of, for”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, formerly; through, throughout”). Akin to Old Saxon and Old High German fora-, Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰- (faura-) (see 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰 (faura)), Dutch voor- (“fore-”).

Etymology 2

"Occurring only in words adopted from French, as forcatch v., forfeit n., forprise n., represents Old French for-, fors-, identical with fors adv. (modern French hors) outside, out."

See also for "fore-"

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