Standard Lemma guide
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
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prefix
Before with respect to time; earlier.
Before: the root is happening earlier in time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to time; earlier.
The early stage of the root time period
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to time; earlier.
Directly or immediately preceding in time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
Positioned at or near the front.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
The fore of a ship.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Topics: nautical, transport
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
Anterior: the frontal part of a body.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
Forepart: the front part of an object or area.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
Near, close to, adjacent in position.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
Nearest: the part of the root which is nearest/closest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Forward in direction.
Forward in temporal direction, anticipating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Forward in direction.
Forward in spatial direction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Forward in direction.
Outward in spatial direction.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
Previous or earlier in order or sequence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
First in order or sequence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
Greater in rank, superior
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
Prominent, most important, foremost or greatest in rank
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
Ancestor, ancestral
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Used to indicate error, exclusion, or inadequacy; Alternative form of for-.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Alternative form of for-: outside, out.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative, morpheme
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
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-”).
"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."
