Dictionary

fore-

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-.

Akin to osx - and Old High German fora-, Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰- (see 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰), Dutch voor-.

Pronunciation

(RP) IPA: /fɔː/
(America) IPA: /fɔɹ/
(rhotic, non-horse-hoarse) IPA: /fo(ː)ɹ/
(non-rhotic, non-horse-hoarse) IPA: /foə/

Prefix

Before with respect to time; earlier.
1. Before: the root is happening earlier in time.
  foreshadow is to occur beforehand, forewarn is to warn beforehand, forechosen is chosen beforehand
2. The early stage of the root time period
  foredawn is the time just before dawn, foreday is the morning or afternoon, foreyear is the earlier part of the year
3. Directly or immediately preceding in time.
  forebirth is that which precedes birth, foreking is a preceding king, forehammer is a large sledge which strikes right before a smaller one
Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
1. Positioned at or near the front.
  forebooth is a booth positioned near the front, foregear is any gear located in a front or forward position, forehew is to hew in front
2. (nautical) The fore of a ship.
  forecabin is a cabin located toward the front of a vessel, forebridge is a raised platform or pilothouse at the front of the bridge, foreboom is the boom of the foremast
3. Anterior: the frontal part of a body.
  forebrain is the anterior part of the brain, forehoof is a front hoof, foregear is armour for the front of the body
4. Outer: the leading, outward portion of a wave or effort; or a distal part of a body.
  forebeam is the leading portion of a remote signal from a moving source, forefront is the leading position or edge, forebreast is the furthest part of a mine where the mining is actively happening, forearm is the part of the arm between the wrist and the elbow
5. Forepart: the front part of an object or area.
  forebody is the forepart of a vehicle, forecourt is the front part of the court in racket sports, forehand is all of the part of a horse which is before the rider
6. Near, close to, adjacent in position.
  foredune is a kind of dune ridge that runs parallel to the shore of a body of water, foreland is the zone adjacent to a mountain chain where material eroded from it is deposited, forby is near, beside, or close to
7. Nearest: the part of the root which is nearest/closest.
  forebeach is the area of beach nearest the water's edge; the foreshore or intertidal zone, forefield is the nearest part of a field (as of view or of combat), forend is part of a rifle, underneath the barrel, where it is supported by the hand
Forward in direction.
1. Forward in temporal direction, anticipating.
  foredawn is to anticipate dawning, foreglimpse is a glimpse of the future, forecast is an estimation of a future condition
2. Forward in spatial direction.
  forehearth is the forward extension of the hearth of a blast furnace, forebite is a condition where the front teeth are set too far forward in the mouth, foregaze is to gaze forward
3. Outward in spatial direction.
  forecry is to cry forth, forehand is a stroke in which the palm of the hand faces the direction of the stroke, foreleader is one who leads others by example
Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
1. Previous or earlier in order or sequence.
  foredescribed is described earlier in the same document, forebook is a prelude to a book or series of books, forebelief is a previous belief
2. First in order or sequence.
  forebell is the first of a series of bells, forefinger is the index (first) finger, foredeal is the first place
3. Greater in rank, superior
  forehand is superiority or advantage, forechoice is a motive which is in agreement with correct desire, forby is superior
4. Prominent, most important, foremost or greatest in rank
  forecolour is any colour which stands out among others, forehand is the chief or most important part, foreground is the software application a user is currently interacting with
5. Ancestor, ancestral
  forebear is an ancestor, forefather is ancestor, fore-elder is an ancestor

Synonyms

(in front of) pre-, ante-
(beforehand) pre-, ante-

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “in front of”): post-
(antonym(s) of “beforehand”): after-, post-

Prefix

Used to indicate error, exclusion, or inadequacy; Alternative form of for-.
forelay is to waylay

Etymology 3

"Occurring only in words adopted from French, as forcatch v.

Prefix

Alternative form of for-: outside, out.
foreclose is to shut out

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