n. [ Cf. F. avance, fr. avancer. See Advance, v. ] 1. The act of advancing or moving forward or upward; progress. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Improvement or progression, physically, mentally, morally, or socially; as, an advance in health, knowledge, or religion; an advance in rank or office. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An addition to the price; rise in price or value; as, an advance on the prime cost of goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The first step towards the attainment of a result; approach made to gain favor, to form an acquaintance, to adjust a difference, etc.; an overture; a tender; an offer; -- usually in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ He ] made the like advances to the dissenters. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A furnishing of something before an equivalent is received (as money or goods), towards a capital or stock, or on loan; payment beforehand; the money or goods thus furnished; money or value supplied beforehand. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall, with pleasure, make the necessary advances. Jay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The account was made up with intent to show what advances had been made. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

In advance (a) In front; before. (b) Beforehand; before an equivalent is received. (c) In the state of having advanced money on account; as, A is in advance to B a thousand dollars or pounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Before in place, or beforehand in time; -- used for advanced; as, an advance guard, or that before the main guard or body of an army; advance payment, or that made before it is due; advance proofs, advance sheets, pages of a forthcoming volume, received in advance of the time of publication. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Advanced p. pr. & vb. n. Advancing #). ] [ OE. avancen, avauncen, F. avancer, fr. a supposed LL. abantiare; ab + ante (F. avant) before. The spelling with d was a mistake, a- being supposed to be fr. L. ad. See Avaunt. ] 1. To bring forward; to move towards the van or front; to make to go on. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To raise; to elevate. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They . . . advanced their eyelids. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To raise to a higher rank; to promote. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ahasueres . . . advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes. Esther iii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To accelerate the growth or progress; to further; to forward; to help on; to aid; to heighten; as, to advance the ripening of fruit; to advance one's interests. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To bring to view or notice; to offer or propose; to show; as, to advance an argument. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some ne'er advance a judgment of their own. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To make earlier, as an event or date; to hasten. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To furnish, as money or other value, before it becomes due, or in aid of an enterprise; to supply beforehand; as, a merchant advances money on a contract or on goods consigned to him. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To raise to a higher point; to enhance; to raise in rate; as, to advance the price of goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To extol; to laud. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Greatly advancing his gay chivalry. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To raise; elevate; exalt; aggrandize; improve; heighten; accelerate; allege; adduce; assign. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To move or go forward; to proceed; as, he advanced to greet me. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To increase or make progress in any respect; as, to advance in knowledge, in stature, in years, in price. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To rise in rank, office, or consequence; to be preferred or promoted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Advanced to a level with ancient peers. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. In the van or front. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In the front or before others, as regards progress or ideas; as, advanced opinions, advanced thinkers. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Far on in life or time. [ 1913 Webster ]

A gentleman advanced in years, with a hard experience written in his wrinkles. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Advanced guard, a detachment of troops which precedes the march of the main body. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avancement, F. avancement. See Advance, v. t. ] 1. The act of advancing, or the state of being advanced; progression; improvement; furtherance; promotion to a higher place or dignity; as, the advancement of learning. [ 1913 Webster ]

In heaven . . . every one (so well they love each other) rejoiceth and hath his part in each other's advancement. Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

True religion . . . proposes for its end the joint advancement of the virtue and happiness of the people. Horsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An advance of money or value; payment in advance. See Advance, 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) Property given, usually by a parent to a child, in advance of a future distribution. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Settlement on a wife, or jointure. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who advances; a promoter. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A second branch of a buck's antler. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]