before preposition [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.

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

2. Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior to the time when; – sometimes with the additional idea of purpose; in order that.

Before Abraham was, I am. John viii. 58.

Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary. Swift.

☞ Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that.

“Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee.” John i. 48.

3. An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.

The golden age . . . is before us. Carlyle.

4. Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than.

He that cometh after me is preferred before me. John i. 15.

The eldest son is before the younger in succession. Johnson.

5. In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.

Abraham bowed down himself before the people. Gen. xxiii. 12.

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? Micah vi. 6.

6. Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.

If a suit be begun before an archdeacon. Ayliffe.

7. Open for; free of access to; in the power of.

The world was all before them where to choose. Milton.

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.

Be-fore′, adverb

1. On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the front; – opposed to in the rear.

The battle was before and behind. 2 Chron. xiii. 14.

2. In advance. “I come before to tell you.” Shak.

3. In time past; previously; already.

You tell me, mother, what I knew before. Dryden.

4. Earlier; sooner than; until then.

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

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