 |
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ere \Ere\ ([=a]r or [^a]r; 277), preposition & adverb [AS. [=ae]r, preposition , adverb, & conj.; akin to OS., OFries., & OHG. [=e]r, G. eher, D. eer, Icel. [=a]r, Goth. air. [root]204. Cf. {Early}, {Erst}, {Or}, adverb]
1. Before; sooner than. [Archaic or Poetic]
Myself was stirring ere the break of day. --Shak.
Ere sails were spread new oceans to explore. --Dryden.
Sir, come down ere my child die. --John iv. 49.
2. Rather than.
I will be thrown into Etna, . . . ere I will leave her. --Shak.
{Ere long}, before, shortly. --Shak.
{Ere now}, formerly, heretofore. --Shak.
{Ere that}, & {Or are}. Same as {Ere}. --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ere \Ere\, verb (used with an object) To plow. [Obs.] See {Ear}, verb (used with an object) --Chaucer.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
20 Moby Thesaurus words for "ere": already, ante, before, before all, earlier, early, ere then, erenow, formerly, heretofore, hitherto, in advance of, or ever, preceding, previously, prior to, priorly, theretofore, to, yet
 |
Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |