Be*fore" (?), prep. [OE. beforen, biforen, before, AS. beforan; pref. be- + foran, fore, before. See Be-, and Fore.]
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.
Milton.
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.
John viii. 58.
Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary.
Swift.
⇒ Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that. "Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee."
John i. 48.
3.
An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.
The golden age . . . is before us.
Carlyle.
4.
Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than.
He that cometh after me is preferred before me.
John i. 15.
The eldest son is before the younger in succession.
Johnson.
5.
In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.
Abraham bowed down himself before the people.
Gen. xxiii. 12.
Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?
Micah vi. 6.
6.
Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.
If a suit be begun before an archdeacon.
Ayliffe.
7.
Open for; free of access to; in the power of.
The world was all before them where to choose.
Milton.
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.
© Webster 1913.
Be*fore", 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 Chron. xiii. 14.
2.
In advance.
"I come
before to tell you."
Shak.
3.
In time past; previously; already.
You tell me, mother, what I knew before.
Dryden.
4.
Earlier; sooner than; until then.
When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before.
Shak.
⇒ Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid.
© Webster 1913.