Standard Lemma guide

fore

adj · adv · intj · name · noun · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /fɔː/
  • General-American: /fɔɹ/
  • /foːɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • /foə/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)
  • homophone: four
  • homophone: for (horse–hoarse merger)
  • CMU ARPABET: F AO1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Former; occurring earlier (in some order); previous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: no-comparative, obsolete

Examples

  • the fore part of the day

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Forward; situated towards the front (of something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: no-comparative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In the part that precedes or goes first; opposed to aft, after, back, behind, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Formerly; previously; afore.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

In or towards the bows of a ship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: nautical, transport

Examples

  • fore and aft

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: aft

6

intj

Meaning 6

An exclamation yelled to inform players a ball is moving in their direction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: golf, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

name

Meaning 7

Their language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

name

Meaning 8

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

The front; the forward part of something; the foreground.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

The front; the forward part of something; the foreground.

The front part of a vessel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: nautical, transport

Examples

  • in the fore of the ship

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bow, stem, forestem, prow, prore

Antonyms: stern, aft, poop

11

noun

Meaning 11

A people of Papua New Guinea.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adverb

Meaning 12

near or toward the bow of a ship or cockpit of a plane

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the captain went fore (or forward) to check the instruments

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: forward

Antonyms: aft

13

noun

Meaning 13

front part of a vessel or aircraft

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bow, prow, stem

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: front

History

Etymology

A development of the prefix fore-.

From the German surname, Americanized from Fahr, from the noun Fähre (“ferry”).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: предишен (predišen) — former; occurring earlier
  • Dutch: eerste — former; occurring earlier
  • Dutch: eerdere — former; occurring earlier
  • Finnish: edellinen — former; occurring earlier
  • Russian: ра́нний (ránnij) — former; occurring earlier
  • Swedish: tidigare — former; occurring earlier
  • Swedish: före — former; occurring earlier
  • Bulgarian: преден (preden) — forward; at or toward the front
  • Dutch: voorste — forward; at or toward the front
  • Dutch: voor- — forward; at or toward the front
  • Finnish: etu- — forward; at or toward the front
  • Finnish: etummainen — forward; at or toward the front
  • Finnish: keula- — forward; at or toward the front
  • Māori: takamua — forward; at or toward the front
  • Polish: przedni — forward; at or toward the front
  • Russian: пере́дний (perédnij) — forward; at or toward the front
  • Russian: носово́й (nosovój) — forward; at or toward the front
  • Finnish: fore — in golf: yelled to inform players a ball is moving in their direction
  • Japanese: ファー (fā) — in golf: yelled to inform players a ball is moving in their direction
  • Bulgarian: нос (nos) — front
  • Dutch: voorkant — front
  • Finnish: etuosa — front
  • Finnish: keula — front
  • French: avant — front
  • French: devant — front
  • Galician: testa — front
  • Galician: fronte — front
  • Russian: нос (nos) — front
  • Russian: пе́ред (péred) — front
  • Russian: пере́дняя ча́сть (perédnjaja částʹ) — front