Middle English Dictionary Entry

bifōre- pref.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
In verbs: (a) ~ barren, prevent, bar; forbid; (b) ~ comen, come into the presence of; (c) ~ girden, to gird beforehand, provide; (d) ~ gon, come into the presence of; (e) ~ greithen, prepare; (f) ~ occupien; (g) ~ saien, foretell; (h) ~ sen, foresee; (i) ~ senden, send ahead; (J) ~ setten, put over or above; (k) ~ singen, sing first, lead the singing; anticipate or predict (events) in song; (l) ~ strecchen, extend; (m) ~ taken, anticipate, bestow beforehand; (n) ~ tellen, proclaim [see biforen-tellen v.]; (o) ~ warnen, foreshadow; warn beforehand; (p) ~ weven, weave around, cover.
2.
In ppls.: (a) ~ comen, anticipated; (b) ~ declared, previously declared; (c) ~ determined, predestined; (d) ~ ended, ended beforehand; (e) ~ going, foregoing, preceding; preliminary; surpassing; (f) ~ had, previously possessed or had; (g) ~ mad, made before; (h) ~ marked, defined beforehand; ~ monested, warned aforetime; (i) ~ named, mentioned before or above; (j) ~ noumbred, enumerated before; (k) ~ passed, bygone; ~ passend, surpassing; (l) ~ rehersed, ~ remembred, mentioned before; (m) ~ said, mentioned before, aforesaid; (n) ~ set, previously established; proposed; set above; (o) ~ spoken, previously uttered or mentioned; (p) ~ tasted, previously tasted; (q) ~ thought, premeditated; (r) ~ wist, known in advance; (s) ~ writen, written or recorded above; prescribed.
3.
In gerunds, action nouns, and agent nouns: (a) ~ breking, breaking asunder; (b) ~ casting, premeditation, purpose; (c) ~ crier, announcer; (d) ~ dede, earlier deed; (e) ~ feghter, champion; ~ figūringe, typological prefiguring; (f) ~ goere, forerunner, precursor; (g) ~ greithing, preparation; (h) ~ knowinge, foreknowledge, prescience; (i) ~ ordinaunce, predestination; (j) ~ rediing, preparation; (k) ~ renner, precursor; (l) ~ shewinge, foreshadowing; (m) ~ spekere, prophet; (n) ~ speking, preface; (o) ~ thinkinge, forethought; (p) ~ walling, outer wall; (q) ~ warnesse, awareness beforehand; (r) ~ witing, foreknowledge.
4.
(a) In a concrete noun: ~ porche, front entry or vestibule; (b) in an adj.: ~ rip, ripe first or early.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408) 340/16 : Robert Gait yaf the fore-seyd mynchons that foreseyd half yerdlonde for euyr..to hold with all libertees..with the ȝyft of te rent, that is to sey, of ij. shillings ij. d before-wryte.
Note: Additional quot. for sense 2(s).--per MLL

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: See note under forn- pref.