v. t. [ LL. afforestare; ad + forestare. See Forest. ] To convert into a forest; as, to afforest a tract of country. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of converting into forest or woodland. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ OE. afore, aforn, AS. onforan or ætforan; pref. a- + fore. ] 1. Before. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

If he have never drunk wine afore. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) In the fore part of a vessel. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. 1. Before (in all its senses). [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) Before; in front of; farther forward than; as, afore the windlass. [ 1913 Webster ]

Afore the mast, among the common sailors; -- a phrase used to distinguish the ship's crew from the officers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Named or quoted before. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Goīng before; foregoing. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>adv. Beforehand; in anticipation. [ Archaic or Dial. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

She is come aforehand to anoint my body. Mark xiv. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Prepared; previously provided; -- opposed to behindhand. [ Archaic or Dial. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Aforehand in all matters of power. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Previously mentioned; before-mentioned. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Named before. Peacham. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Said before, or in a preceding part; already described or identified. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Premeditated; prepense; previously in mind; designed; as, malice aforethought, which is required to constitute murder. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Premeditation. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In time past; formerly. “He prayed . . . as he did aforetime.” Dan. vi. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. [ OE. beforen, biforen, before, AS. beforan; pref. be- + foran, fore, before. See Be-, and Fore. ] 1. In front of; preceding in space; ahead of; as, to stand before the fire; before the house. [ 1913 Webster ]

His angel, who shall go
Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior to the time when; -- sometimes with the additional idea of purpose; in order that. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before Abraham was, I am. John viii. 58. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that. “Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee.” John i. 48. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An advance of; farther onward, in place or time. [ 1913 Webster ]

The golden age . . . is before us. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than. [ 1913 Webster ]

He that cometh after me is preferred before me. John i. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

The eldest son is before the younger in succession. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abraham bowed down himself before the people. Gen. xxiii. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? Micah vi. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of. [ 1913 Webster ]

If a suit be begun before an archdeacon. Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Open for; free of access to; in the power of. [ 1913 Webster ]

The world was all before them where to choose. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before the mast (Naut.), as a common sailor, -- because the sailors live in the forecastle, forward of the foremast. --
Before the wind (Naut.), in the direction of the wind and by its impulse; having the wind aft. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the front; -- opposed to in the rear. [ 1913 Webster ]

The battle was before and behind. 2 Chron. xiii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In advance. “I come before to tell you.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In time past; previously; already. [ 1913 Webster ]

You tell me, mother, what I knew before. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Earlier; sooner than; until then. [ 1913 Webster ]

When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a drop before. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Before + hand. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. In a state of anticipation ore preoccupation; in advance; -- often followed by with. [ 1913 Webster ]

Agricola . . . resolves to be beforehand with the danger. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The last cited author has been beforehand with me. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. By way of preparation, or preliminary; previously; aforetime. [ 1913 Webster ]

They may be taught beforehand the skill of speaking. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. In comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rich and much beforehand. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Formerly; aforetime. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ They ] dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. 2 Kings xiii. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To convert into, or add to, a forest. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To clear of forests; to disforest. U. S. Agric. Reports. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disafforested; p. pr. & vb. n. Disafforesting. ] [ Pref. dis- + afforest: cf. OF. desaforester. ] (Eng. Law) To reduce from the privileges of a forest to the state of common ground; to exempt from forest laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

By charter 9 Henry III. many forests were disafforested. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To disafforest. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To clear or deprive of forests or trees. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of clearing land of forests. Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To turn into a forest. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. fōr, fr. faran to go. See Fare, v. i. ] Journey; way; method of proceeding. [ Obs. ] “Follow him and his fore.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ AS. fore, adv. & prep., another form of for. See For, and cf. Former, Foremost. ] 1. In the part that precedes or goes first; -- opposed to aft, after, back, behind, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Formerly; previously; afore. [ Obs. or Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The eyes, fore duteous, now converted are. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) In or towards the bows of a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fore and aft (Naut.), from stem to stern; lengthwise of the vessel; -- in distinction from athwart. R. H. Dana, Jr. --
Fore-and-aft rigged (Naut.), not rigged with square sails attached to yards, but with sails bent to gaffs or set on stays in the midship line of the vessel. See Schooner, Sloop, Cutter. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Fore, adv. ] Advanced, as compared with something else; toward the front; being or coming first, in time, place, order, or importance; preceding; anterior; antecedent; earlier; forward; -- opposed to back or behind; as, the fore part of a garment; the fore part of the day; the fore and of a wagon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The free will of the subject is preserved, while it is directed by the fore purpose of the state. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Fore is much used adjectively or in composition. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fore bay, a reservoir or canal between a mill race and a water wheel; the discharging end of a pond or mill race. --
Fore body (Shipbuilding), the part of a ship forward of the largest cross-section, distinguished from middle body and after body. --
Fore boot, a receptacle in the front of a vehicle, for stowing baggage, etc. --
Fore bow, the pommel of a saddle. Knight. --
Fore cabin, a cabin in the fore part of a ship, usually with inferior accommodations. --
Fore carriage. (a) The forward part of the running gear of a four-wheeled vehicle. (b) A small carriage at the front end of a plow beam. --
Fore course (Naut.), the lowermost sail on the foremost of a square-rigged vessel; the foresail. See Illust. under Sail. --
Fore door. Same as Front door. --
Fore edge, the front edge of a book or folded sheet, etc. --
Fore elder, an ancestor. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Fore end. (a) The end which precedes; the earlier, or the nearer, part; the beginning. [ 1913 Webster ] I have . . . paid
More pious debts to heaven, than in all
The fore end of my time. Shak. (b) In firearms, the wooden stock under the barrel, forward of the trigger guard, or breech frame. --
Fore girth, a girth for the fore part (of a horse, etc.); a martingale. --
Fore hammer, a sledge hammer, working alternately, or in time, with the hand hammer. --
Fore leg, one of the front legs of a quadruped, or multiped, or of a chair, settee, etc. --
Fore peak (Naut.), the angle within a ship's bows; the portion of the hold which is farthest forward. --
Fore piece, a front piece, as the flap in the fore part of a sidesaddle, to guard the rider's dress. --
Fore plane, a carpenter's plane, in size and use between a jack plane and a smoothing plane. Knight. --
Fore reading, previous perusal. [ Obs. ] Hales. --
Fore rent, in Scotland, rent payable before a crop is gathered. --
Fore sheets (Naut.), the forward portion of a rowboat; the space beyond the front thwart. See Stern sheets. --
Fore shore. (a) A bank in advance of a sea wall, to break the force of the surf. (b) The seaward projecting, slightly inclined portion of a breakwater. Knight. (c) The part of the shore between high and low water marks. --
Fore sight, that one of the two sights of a gun which is near the muzzle. --
Fore tackle (Naut.), the tackle on the foremast of a ship. --
Fore topmast. (Naut.) See Fore-topmast, in the Vocabulary. --
Fore wind, a favorable wind. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] Sailed on smooth seas, by fore winds borne. Sandys. --
Fore world, the antediluvian world. [ R. ] Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The front; hence, that which is in front; the future. [ 1913 Webster ]

At the fore (Naut.), at the fore royal masthead; -- said of a flag, so raised as a signal for sailing, etc. --
To the fore. (a) In advance; to the front; to a prominent position; in plain sight; in readiness for use. (b) In existence; alive; not worn out, lost, or spent, as money, etc. [ Irish ] “While I am to the fore.” W. Collins. “How many captains in the regiment had two thousand pounds to the fore?” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. Before; -- sometimes written 'fore as if a contraction of afore or before. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To admonish beforehand, or before the act or event. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To advise or counsel before the time of action, or before the event. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Forealleged p. pr. & vb. n. Forealleging ] To allege or cite before. Fotherby. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To set, order, or appoint, beforehand. Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Previous appointment; preordinantion. Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To arm or prepare for attack or resistance before the time of need. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Anat.) That part of the arm or fore limb between the elbow and wrist; the antibrachium. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The breast beam of a loom. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An ancestor. See Forbear. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To foretell; to presage; to augur. [ 1913 Webster ]

If I forebode aright. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Prognostication; presage. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Foreboded; p. pr. & vb. n. Foreboding. ] [ AS. forebodian; fore + bodian to announce. See Bode v. t. ] 1. To foretell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be prescient of (some ill or misfortune); to have an inward conviction of, as of a calamity which is about to happen; to augur despondingly. [ 1913 Webster ]

His heart forebodes a mystery. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sullen, desponding, and foreboding nothing but wars and desolation, as the certain consequence of Cæsar's death. Middleton. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have a sort of foreboding about him. H. James.

Syn. -- To foretell; predict; prognosticate; augur; presage; portend; betoken. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of foreboding; the thing foreboded. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who forebodes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Presage of coming ill; expectation of misfortune. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a foreboding manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) A rope applied to the fore yardarm, to change the position of the foresail. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Anat.) The anterior of the three principal divisions of the brain, including the prosencephalon and thalamencephalon. Sometimes restricted to the prosencephalon only. See Brain. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. [ Fore + by. ] Near; hard by; along; past. See Forby. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To plan beforehand; to scheme; to project. [ 1913 Webster ]

He shall forecast his devices against the strongholds. Dan. xi. 24. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To foresee; to calculate beforehand, so as to provide for; as, to forecast the weather; to forecast prices. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is wisdom to consider the end of things before we embark, and to forecast consequences. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]