(a) With ref. to a past event: immediately, straightway, at once; without delay; also, with prep. phrase: ~ after, immediately following (an event); with conj.: ~ after (that, right after (sb. did sth.); (b) with ref. to a past event, actual or hypothetical: shortly, before long, not long after; also, with prep. phrases: ~ after (upon), shortly after (a time, an event, etc.); ~ er (onforan), just before (a time); with conj.: ~ after, ~ after (upon) that, shortly after (sb. did sth., sth. was so); ~..sitthen, shortly..after; (c) reckoning from present time: at once, right away; also, in the near future, not long hence; also, immediately [quot. a1450 PNoster]; ~ daies, soon in the day, shortly; (d) after a future, proposed, or hypothetical event or condition: at a time closely following, before much time passes; also, with conj.: ~ after, soon after (sb. may do sth.); (e) ~ an-on (asket, forth-rightes), ful (most, right, swithe, wel, wonder) ~, ful ~ an-on, right away, at once, immediately; also, very soon, promptly; as ~, as soon, at once; (f) ~ after (after-ward, her-after, ther-after), after (after-ward, her-after, ther-after) ~, straightway after (afterward, hereafter, thereafter); shortly after (afterward, hereafter, thereafter); ~ eft (sitthen), soon after; right ~ her-after; sitthen ~ ther-after; (g) ~ and deliverlie (skete), hastilie (rathe, rathere, swiftli) and ~, quickly and soon, immediately; (h) not so ~..that, no sooner..than.

In conjunctive phrases: as soon as: (a) ~ as (that, also (as) ~ as, as ~ so, as ~ that; as ~ as..as ~, as soon as..just as soon; (b) so) ~ so, so ~ as; (c) ~ an-on so (sum), ~ sum (that); (d) ~ whan, al-to ~, tho ~ tho.

Recently, in the immediate past.

(a) With diminished temporal sense [often difficult to distinguish from 1a.(a)]: quickly, speedily; easily, readily; also, too quickly [quot. c1410]; ~ swiftli, ~ in spede, very quickly; (b) as ~, as quickly as possible; even as ~, just as quickly; hou ~; not so ~..but, no sooner..than; so ~; to ~.

(a) Early; al) to ~, too early; sitthen or ~, later or sooner; ben as ~ as, to be in existence as early as; (b) ~ daies (nightes), early in the day (night); ~ at even (night), early in the evening, during the first part of night; ~ bi the morn, ~ on (the) morn, early in the morning; ~ on angin, right at the beginning.

Comp. (a) More quickly, sooner; very quickly, quite soon; long time soner, before long; more soner; (b) soner than, soner..than, sooner (..) than; no soner but, no sooner than; (c) the soner, the sooner; the soner that..the rathere, the sooner..the sooner; never the soner, no sooner; so) muche the soner, so muchel the soner, so much the sooner; wel the soner, very soon; (d) rather; preferably, more readily; soner than, rather than; (e) earlier; soner ishinge, coming forth too soon, premature.

Sup. Most quickly; most readily; soonest; sonest of, before.

In proverbs and prov. expressions.

As conj.: as soon as; sone..sone, sone..thanne, as soon as..then.