before

[bih-fawr, -fohr] /bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr/
preposition
1.
previous to; earlier or sooner than:
Phone me before noon.
2.
in front of; ahead of; in advance of:
his shadow advancing before him; She stood before the window.
3.
ahead of; in the future of; awaiting:
The golden age is before us.
4.
in preference to; rather than:
They would die before surrendering.
5.
in precedence of, as in order or rank:
We put freedom before wealth.
6.
in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience.
7.
less than; until: used in indicating the exact time:
It's ten before three.
8.
under the jurisdiction or consideration of:
He was summoned before a magistrate.
9.
confronted by; in the face of:
Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply.
10.
in the regard of:
a crime before God and humanity.
11.
under the overwhelming influence of:
bending before the storm.
12.
without figuring or deducting:
income before deductions.
adverb
13.
in front; in advance; ahead:
The king entered with macebearers walking before.
14.
in time preceding; previously:
If we'd known before, we'd have let you know.
15.
earlier or sooner:
Begin at noon, not before.
conjunction
16.
previous to the time when:
Send the telegram before we go.
17.
sooner than; rather than:
I will die before I submit.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English beforen, Old English beforan, equivalent to be by + foran before (fore fore1 + -an adv. suffix)
Antonyms
13. after, behind. 14. afterward. 15. later.
Examples from the web for before
  • It's long been advised that people who get nighttime heartburn eat no later than three to four hours before bed.
  • We plan to pick him up at the airport the day before the first talk.
  • But thanks to incompetence and corruption, vast shipments of food rotted before reaching the shops.
  • We may be able to get a glimpse of what happened before the big bang, thanks to a new study-but only a glimpse.
  • before they went on the air, both candidates refused the services of a cosmetician.
  • See photos before and after the transformation here.
  • Babies also flex their mental muscles months before birth.
  • Most of those materials were in the public domain before.
  • Modern birds originated a hundred million years ago-long before the demise of dinosaurs, according to new research.
  • Even before they've hatched, red-eyed tree frogs have a nose for danger.
British Dictionary definitions for before

before

/bɪˈfɔː/
conjunction (subordinating)
1.
earlier than the time when
2.
rather than: he'll resign before he agrees to it
preposition
3.
preceding in space or time; in front of; ahead of: standing before the altar
4.
when confronted by: to withdraw before one's enemies
5.
in the presence of: to be brought before a judge
6.
in preference to: to put friendship before money
adverb
7.
at an earlier time; previously; beforehand; in front
Word Origin
Old English beforan; related to Old Frisian befara, Old High German bifora
Word Origin and History for before
adv., prep.

Old English beforan "before, in front of, in the presence of, in former times," from Proto-Germanic *bi- "by" + *forana "from the front," adverbial derivative of *fora (see for). Cf. Old Frisian bifara, Old Saxon biforan, Old High German bifora, German bevor. Contrasting before and after in illustrations is from Hogarth (1768). Before the mast in old sailing ships denoting "common sailor," is from the place of their berths, in front of the fore-mast.

Idioms and Phrases with before

before

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