Fore- | Meaning Of Prefix Fore- By Etymonline

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Origin and history of fore-

fore-

Middle English for-, fore-, from Old English fore-, often for- or foran-, from fore (adv. & prep.), which was used as a prefix in Old English as in other Germanic languages with a sense of "before in time, rank, position," etc., or designating the front part or earliest time.

Entries linking to fore-

fore(adv., prep.)

Old English fore (prep.) "before, in front of, in presence of; because of, for the sake of; earlier in time; instead of;" as an adverb, "before, previously, formerly, once," from Proto-Germanic *fura "before" (source also of Old Saxon fora, Old Frisian fara, Old High German fora, German vor, Danish for, Old Norse fyrr, Gothic faiura "for"), from PIE *prae-, extended form of root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before."

Now displaced by before. In nautical use, "toward the bows of the ship." Merged from 13c. with the abbreviated forms of afore and before and thus formerly often written 'fore. As a noun, "the front," from 1630s. The warning cry in golf is first recorded 1878, probably a contraction of before.

fore(adj.)

mid-15c., "forward;" late 15c., "former, earlier;" early 16c., "situated at the front;" all senses apparently from fore- compounds, which frequently were written as two words in Middle English.

• forearm
• forebode
• foreboding
• fore-brain
• forecast
• forecastle
• foreclose
• fore-deck
• forefather
• forefinger
• forefront
• forego
• foreground
• forehand
• forehead
• foreknowledge
• foreleg
• forelock
• See All Related Words (42)

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forecastlate 14c., "to scheme," from fore- "before" + casten in the sense of "contrive, plan, prepare" (late 14c.; see cast (v.)). Meaning "predict events" first attested late 15c. (cast (v.) "to perceive, notice" is from late 14c.). Related: Forecasting. Whether we are to say forecast forecastlec. 1400 (mid-14c. as Anglo-French forechasteil), "short raised deck in the fore part of the ship used in warfare," from Middle English fore- "before" + Anglo-French castel "fortified tower" (see castle (n.)). In broader reference to the part of a vessel forward of the fore rigginforecloselate 13c., from Old French forclos, past participle of forclore "exclude, shut out; shun; drive away" (12c.), from fors "out" (Modern French hors; from Latin foris "outside;" see foreign) + clore "to shut" (see close (v.)). Senses in English influenced by words in for- (which is sloop1620s, "small fore-and-aft rigged vessel with one mast, generally carrying a jib, fore-stay sail, mainsail, and gaff-topsail...schoonerfore-and-aft rigged vessel, originally with but two masts, 1716, perhaps from a New England verb related to Scottish scon...characteristic of a schooner has been defined as consisting essentially of two gaff sails, the after sail not being smaller than the fore...kingA king-bolt (1825) was the large bolt connecting the fore part of a carriage with the fore-axle....close quarters1722, originally nautical, also close-fights, "bulkheads fore and aft for men to stand behind in close engagements to fire...theologymid-14c., "the science of religion, study of God and his relationship to humanity," from Old French theologie "philosophical study of Christian doctrine; Scripture" (14c.), from Latin theologia, from Greek theologia "an account of the gods," from theologos "one discoursing on themake-upalso makeup, "manner in which something is put together," 1821, from the verbal phrase (see make (v.) + up (adv.)). To make up as "build, collect into one form by bringing together" is from late 14c., also "prepare." It is attested from late 15c. as "supply as an equivalent," fromiasma1660s, "effluvia arising from the ground and floating in the atmosphere, considered to be infectious or injurious to health," from Modern Latin miasma "noxious vapors," from Greek miasma (genitive miasmatos) "stain, pollution, defilement, taint of guilt," from stem of miainein "t

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/fore-CopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/fore-">Etymology of fore- by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of fore-. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved December 29, 2025, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/fore-CopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of fore-," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.etymonline.com/word/fore-.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of fore-." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/fore-. Accessed 29 December, 2025.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of fore-." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/fore- (accessed December 29, 2025).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near fore-

• forcible
• ford
• fordable
• fordo
• fore
• fore-
• fore-and-aft
• forearm
• forebear
• forebode
• foreboding

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