BEFORE • DICCIONARIO INGLES.COM • Definition of Before

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/bɪfˈɔr/ /bˌifˈɔr/ Listen

preposition

Before prep.

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."

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." "Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary." Note: Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that. "Before that Philip called thee... I saw thee."

3.

An advance of; farther onward, in place or time. "The golden age... is before us."

4.

Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than. "He that cometh after me is preferred before me." "The eldest son is before the younger in succession."

5.

In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing. "Abraham bowed down himself before the people." "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?"

6.

Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of. "If a suit be begun before an archdeacon."

7.

Open for; free of access to; in the power of. "The world was all before them where to choose."

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.

adverb

Before 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.

In advance. "I come before to tell you."

3.

In time past; previously; already. "You tell me, mother, what I knew before."

4.

Earlier; sooner than; until then. "When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before." Note: Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid.

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Etymology of 'Before'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Before" Quotes from Famous Books

... called on to discount the statements of sellers of trees, and that a little, not too expensive, experience will teach him. The West is apparently too busy selling fruit and fruit lands to lay out nuts to trap eastern nibblers. But the allurements of pecan growing in the South are spread before us with our bread and butter and morning coffee. The orange and pomelo properties have been banished from the stage, or made to play second fiddle, and now we see in the limelight the pecan plantation, with a vista of provision for old age and insurance for our children. ...

— Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Second Annual Meeting - Ithaca, New York, December 14 and 15, 1911 • Northern Nut Growers Association

... after long evil, with eyes may gaze! — Go to the bench now! Be glad at banquet, warrior worthy! A wealth of treasure at dawn of day, be dealt between us!" Glad was the Geats' lord, going betimes to seek his seat, as the Sage commanded. Afresh, as before, for the famed-in-battle, for the band of the hall, was a banquet dight nobly anew. The Night-Helm darkened dusk o'er the drinkers. The doughty ones rose: for the hoary-headed would hasten to rest, aged Scylding; and eager the Geat, shield-fighter sturdy, for sleeping yearned. Him wander-weary, ...

— Beowulf • Anonymous

... listened every one Cried in delight, Well done! Well done! Those sages versed in holy lore Praised the sweet minstrels more and more: And wondered at the singers' skill, And the bard's verses sweeter still, Which laid so clear before the eye The glorious deeds of days gone by. Thus by the virtuous hermits praised, Inspirited their voice they raised. Pleased with the song this holy man Would give the youths a water-can; One gave a fair ascetic dress, Or sweet fruit from the wilderness. One ...

— The Ramayana • VALMIKI

... King Ludeger, the leader of the Saxon host. Three times did he cleave his way through the mighty host until at length he stood before the King. ...

— Stories of Siegfried - Told to the Children • Mary MacGregor

... upon which his discourse may be said to proceed, leads up the presentation of the final stage of the Christian life on earth—that stage when man has won his way to the kingdom of the "what Is" within himself, and when he no longer needs the outward supports to his faith which he needed before he passed from the "what Knows". Christianity is a religion which is only secondarily a doctrine addressed to the "what Knows". It is, first of all, a religion whose fountain-head is a Personality in whom all that is spiritually ...

— Introduction to Robert Browning • Hiram Corson

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