▪ I. † fore, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 fór, 3–5 fore, vore, 4 foore, 5 fowre.
[OE. fór str. fem. = OHG. fuora (MHG. vuore, mod.Ger. fuhre):—OTeut. *fôrâ-, f. *fôr-, ablaut-var. of *far- to go: see fare v.]
1. A going, journey, expedition. Also, an expeditionary force.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. ix. (1891) 412 He his fore ᵹeᵹear⁓wede. c 1205 Lay. 5568 Brennes..mid starkere fore ferde toward Rome. Ibid. 5858 Þe cnihtes weoren on fore fer ut of Rome. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 386 Wyllam ysey..bote he adde help of hys men, hys fore nas ryȝt noȝt. c 1400 in Rel. Ant. I. 160 Sori is the fore Fram bedde to the flore. |
b. A rush, onset, charge.
| c 1205 Lay. 1676 In þera ilke uore heo fælden of his iueren. 13.. K. Alis. 2355 Theose braken, at one fore, Heore launces on Nycanore. |
2. A track, trace.
| c 1250 Owl & Night. 817 And so forleost þe hund his fore. c 1386 Chaucer Sompn. T. 227 Who folweth Cristes gospel and his fore. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 153 Þere were afterward i sene foores and steppes of men and of hors. 1398 ― Barth. De P.R. ix. viii. (1495) 353 The foores and the sygnes of Somer that is goon is all dystroyed. |
3. The course of an affair; a proceeding, adventure.
| c 1205 Lay. 15578 For swa wes al þa uore. Ibid. 15810 Iwhiten þu wult þa uore nu þu hit scalt ihere. c 1320 Cast. Love 1156 No tonge may tellen of þat fore. |
▪ II. fore
obs. var. of furrow.
▪ III. fore, a.
(fɔə(r))
Also 6 Sc. foir.
[The use of fore as adj. arises out of an analysis of ns. which are combinations of fore- prefix, e.g. forepart. These being occasionally written as two words, the first member came to be treated as an adj.]
I. As adj. in concord.
1. Situated or appearing in front, or in front of something else; usually with an opposition expressed or implied to back, hind-.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xlii. 68 Than Bissines..Straik doun the top of the foir tour. c 1540 Order in Battayll A vij b, When thou hast invaded thyne enemyes with the fore and hynder warde. a 1639 Spottiswood Hist. Ch. Scot. v. (1655) 271 The Cannon having made great breaches in the fore and back walls. 1655 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. Introd. v. (1669) 171 It comes in at the Back-door, while we are expecting it at the Fore. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 107 In the fore side of this wooden Piece is a square hole. 1715 Cheyne Philos. Princ. Relig. i. i. (ed. 2) 13 Resistance in Fluids arises from their greater Pressing on the Fore, than Hind part of the Bodies moving in them. 1762 Sterne Tr. Shandy V. xxvi, Susannah had but just time to make her escape down the back-stairs, as my mother came up the fore. 1805 Forsyth Beauties Scotl. II. 192 In the fore wall of the church..there has plainly been an aperture. 1880 Huxley Crayfish ii. 61 The alimentary canal may therefore be distinguished into a fore and a hind gut. |
† 2. Anterior, previous, former. Obs.
| 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxiv. 90 The fore loue reneweth hym selfe. 1526 R. Whitford Martiloge (1893) 84 The duke dyd the moost..commun seruyce notwithstandyng his fore estate. 1535 Coverdale 2 Esdras vii. 12 The intraunces of the fore worlde were wyde and sure. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 12 The great musicke maisters who excelled in fore time. a 1634 Chapman Alphonsus Plays 1873 III. 239 Alexander and Meritz have the fore dance. 1718 Entertainer xxvi. 175 That Place which in a fore Time was Stil'd the Temple of Dagon. |
II. quasi-n. or elliptically.
3. The fore part of anything, e.g. the bow of a ship, the fore-quarter of beef, etc.
| 1888 Pall Mall G. 16 Jan. 14/1 The sensation was stronger in the fore of sailing vessels. 1890 Daily News 11 July 2/8 American refrigerated hind-quarters..thirds..fores. |
b. Naut. (at) the fore: (see quot. 1883).
| 1860 Motley Netherl. II. xix. 475 Medina Sidonia hoisted the royal standard at the fore. 1883 W. C. Russell Sailor's Lang. s.v. Fore, At the fore, means at the fore⁓royal mast-head. |
4. to the fore. (Sc. and Anglo-Irish phrase, introduced into English literary use in the 19th c.) a. Of a person: Present, on the spot, within call.
| 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 363 If Christ had not been to the fore in our sad days, the waters had gone over our soul. 1656 Earl of Monmouth Advt. fr. Parnass. 416 Some Italian Princes who were yet to the fore, could not be weighed. 1726 R. Erskine Sonnets ii. i. §6 Yield not..The Lion strong of Judah's tribe, Thy Husband, 's to the fore. 1815 Scott Guy M. xlv, ‘I wuss auld Sherra Pleydell was to the fore here!’ 1829 A. M. Hall Sk. Irish Char. (1842) 60 Why didn't you give it me, and I to the fore? 1852 Lever Daltons II. xxxv, If he hasn't me to the fore to prove what I said, he can do nothing. |
b. Still surviving, alive.
| 1695 Earl of Cromarty Vindic. Robt. III, 14 The said Lord John..being to the fore, and on Life. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) I. 22 As lang's Sandy's to the fore Ye never shall get Nansy. 1787 Burns Let. W. Nicol 1 June, Gif the beast be to the fore. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xliii, ‘While this grey head is to the fore, not a clute o' them but sall be as weel cared for as if they were the fatted kine of Pharaoh.’ 1888 J. Payn Myst. Mirbridge vi, The steward..though stricken in years—was still to the fore. |
† c. to the fore with: in advance of. Obs.
| 1646 R. Baillie Lett. (1775) II. 221, I am now two to the fore with you, albeit I wrote none the last post. |
d. Of money, etc.: Ready at or to hand, forthcoming; available. † to go to the fore: to be put to one's credit.
| 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 181 Therefore my wages are going to the fore up in heaven. 1640 Dumbarton Burgh Rec. in Irving Hist. Dumbartonsh. (1860) 525 Gif thay had common guid to the foir. 1660 Sharp Let. 11 May in Wodrow Hist. I. Introd. 25 Is his broad Sword to the fore? 1639 R. Baillie Lett. (1775) I. 126 He had a good estate, and well to the fore. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth viii, If these are not to the fore, it is the Provost's fault, and not the town's. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xxv, How many captains in the regiment have two thousand pounds to the fore. |
e. In recent use sometimes taken to mean ‘in full view, conspicuous’. So to come to the fore occurs for: ‘to come to the front’, ‘to come into view’.
| 1842 Barham Ingol. Leg., Auto-da-Fe, Magnificent structures..As our Irish friends have it, are there ‘to the fore’. 1876 World V. No. 106. 5 These vermin seldom venture to come to the fore themselves. 1880 Manch. Guard. 23 Nov., The vexed question of local taxation reform must come to the fore next session. |
▪ IV. fore, adv. and prep.
(fɔə(r))
[Com. Teut.: OE. fore = OFris. fara, OS. fora (Du. voor), OHG. fora (MHG. vor(e, mod.Ger. vor), Goth. faura.
The root is the same as in L. prō, præ, per, Gr. πρό, παρά, παραί, περί, Skr. purā. The precise form in OTeut. is disputed: one opinion is that it was *forai = Gr. παραί, with a dative case-ending.
From 16th c. the word has often been regarded as an abbreviation of before, and hence written 'fore.]
† A. adv. Obs.
1. Before, at some earlier time, previously.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) lxxvii[i]. 14 [12] He on Egypta aᵹenum lande, worhte fore wundur mære. a 1300 Cursor M. 10938 (Cott.) Elizabeth..was anna sister, als i for tald. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2076 Þe welþe & welfare i haue him wrouȝt fore. a 1375 Joseph Arim. 208 Wiþouten faute oþer faus as þei fore seiden. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. vii, The eyes (fore dutious) now..looke an other way. |
b. Forward or onward, forth.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 18267 (Cott.) Fra nu for, vnderstand þou wele Hu fele pines ai sal þou fele. |
2. Beforehand, in advance.
| a 1225 Juliana 47 Ah wel ich warni þe uore, hit nis nawt þin biheue. c 1500 Melusine xxiv. 184 To see a remedy be had to it rather to fore than to late. |
B. prep. = for prep. in various uses.
† 1. a. Before, in front of, in the presence of; = for 1 a, b. Obs.
| Beowulf 1064 (Gr.) Þær wæs sang and sweg..fore Healf⁓denes hildewisan. c 1300 Beket 31 The manere of Engelonde this Gilbert hire tolde fore. c 1320 Cast. Love 1030 So stille and derne he [Jesus] was þe fend fore. c 1550 Northren Mothers Blessing vi. (1597) E v, What man that shall wed the fore God with a ring. 1608 J. Day Law-Trickes i. ii. (1881) 18 Y'are..much to rude, To shew this kindnesse fore a multitude. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iv. 401 Contract vs fore these Witnesses. |
b. In asseveration or adjuration; = for 1 c.
| c 1435 Torr. Portugal 745 Fore Sen Jame! What ys the gyantes name. 1601 Shakes. All's Well ii. iii. 51 Fore God I thinke so. 1687 Congreve Old Bach. iii. ii, No, foregad! I'm caught. 1756 Foote Eng. fr. Paris ii. Wks. 1799 I. 111 Foregad I believe the Papistes ha' bewitch'd him. 1840 Barham Ingol. Leg., Ghost, 'Fore George, I'm vastly puzzled what to do. |
† 2. Of time: Before; = for 2. Obs.
| a 1000 Crist 1031 (Gr.) Fore Cristes cyme. a 1300 Cursor M. 22429 (Cott.) Fore domes-dai þat sal be sene. 1601 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. ii. 160 At any time 'fore-noone. |
† 3. Before, in preference to; = for 3. Obs.
| 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. iii. 22 Prizest him 'fore me? 1594 Marlowe & Nashe Dido iii. iv, I follow one that loveth fame fore me. 1634 Massinger Very Woman ii. i, You prefer My safety 'fore your own. |
† 4. = for 6. Obs.
| 1463 Bury Wills (Camd.) 17 And alle here costez payd fore. |
† 5. In support of, in favour of; = for 7. Obs.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. v. (1891) 396 Þæt he..him fore ᵹebæde. a 1000 Crist 1202 (Gr.) Eal þa earfeðu, þe he fore ældum adreaᵹ. a 1300 Cursor M. 11291 (Cott.) For to do fore him þat dai, þe settenes of þe ald lai. c 1340 Ibid. 9610 (Trin.) If my sister saue miȝt al þat she wolde fore [other texts for] crie & cal. |
† 6. On account of, because of; = for 21 b. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 27 Þu ne derst cumen bi-foren him fore þine gulte. c 1340 Cursor M. 13756 (Trin.), I dampne þe nat þi synne fore. c 1440 Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 45 Þe fals tythere rehersyth aȝen in his fals tythyng þe synne, þat crist was do fore to deth. |
† 7. As a precaution against; = for 23 d. Obs.
| c 1450 Two Cookery-bks. ii. 106 And holde a dissh vnderneth, fore spilling of the licour. |
8. Comb. † fore-belly, padded clothing in front of the belly; fore-dawn, the time preceding the dawn (also attrib. or adj.); † fore-eternal a., † fore-everlasting a., that is or was before the eternal or everlasting; in quots. absol. or quasi-n.; fore-sabbath, the day that precedes the sabbath; † fore-south a., facing the south.
| 1638 Jasper Mayne tr. Lucian's Dial. (1664) 363, I forbear to speake of his stuft Brests, and *fore-Bellyes, which make an adventitious and artificiall corpulency. |
| 1884 J. Payne Tales fr. Arabic II. 33 It was the *fore-dawn hour. 1894 Hall Caine Manxman v. ii. 283 Sometimes he was up in the vague fore-dawn. |
| 1587 Golding De Mornay vi. 80 Porphyrius..saying, that there is an euerlasting or eternall Mynd, and yet..afore the same a *Foreëternall, or former euerlasting. |
| Ibid. And that betweene the *Foreeuerlasting and the Euerlasting, Eternitie resteth in the middest. |
| 1656 Trapp Comm. (1868) 415 The Jews..before their sabbath [had] their *fore-sabbath. |
| 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 386 The *fore-South windows..being cover'd with Matt to preserve the hony. |
▪ V. fore, int. Golf.
(fɔə(r))
[Probably a contraction of before.]
(See quot. 1878.)
| 1878 Pardon Football, etc., 82 Fore! a warning cry to people in front of the stroke. |
▪ VI. fore
obs. pa. tense of fare.