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• fore
  fore

  adjective

  situated at or toward the front, as compared with something else.
• fore-
  fore-

  a prefix meaning “before” (in space, time, condition, etc.), “front,” “superior,” etc..

fore

¹ American  

[fawr] / fɔr /

adjective

1. situated at or toward the front, as compared with something else.

2. previous; earlier.

   cities that existed in a fore time.

3. Nautical.

   1. of or relating to a foremast.

   2. noting a sail, yard, boom, etc., or any rigging belonging to a fore lower mast or to some upper mast of a foremast.

   3. noting any stay running aft and upward to the head of a fore lower mast or to some specified upper mast of a foremast.

      fore topmast stay.

   4. situated at or toward the bow of a vessel; forward.

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adverb

1. Nautical. at or toward the bow.

2. forward.

3. Obsolete. before.

noun

1. the forepart of anything; front.

2. Nautical. the fore, the foremast.

preposition

1. Informal. Also 'fore before.

idioms

1. fore and aft, in, at, or to both ends of a ship.

2. to the fore,

   1. into a conspicuous place or position; to or at the front.

   2. at hand; ready; available.

   3. still alive.

fore ² American  

[fawr, fohr] / fɔr, foʊr /

interjection

Golf.

1. (used as a cry of warning to persons on a course who are in danger of being struck by the ball.)

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fore- ³ American  

1. a prefix meaning “before” (in space, time, condition, etc.), “front,” “superior,” etc..

   forehead; forecastle; forecast; foretell; foreman.

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fore ¹ British  

/ fɔː /

adjective

1. (usually in combination) located at, in, or towards the front

   the forelegs of a horse

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noun

1. the front part

2. something located at, in, or towards the front

3. short for foremast

4. located at or directed towards both ends of a vessel

   a fore-and-aft rig

5. 1. to or into the front or conspicuous position

   2. alive or active

      is your grandfather still to the fore?

adverb

1. at or towards a ship's bow

2. obsolete before

preposition

1. a less common word for before

fore- ² British  

prefix

1. before in time or rank

   foresight

   forefather

   foreman

2. at or near the front; before in place

   forehead

   forecourt

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fore ³ British  

/ fɔː /

interjection

1. (in golf) a warning shout made by a player about to make a shot

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fore More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fore

• to the fore

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Usage

What does fore- mean? Fore- is a prefix meaning “before,” "front," or "superior." It is occasionally used in everyday and technical terms. In some terms, such as fore-check, the prefix is separated from the second element with a hyphen. Fore- comes from Old English for(e), meaning “before” or “front.” The Latin cognate and translation is prae “before,” which is the source of pre-, as in prefix and preposition. Learn more at our entry for each word.

Etymology

Origin of fore¹

By construal of fore- as an adjective, hence nominalized; fore and aft perhaps as translation of Dutch or Low German; sense “before” fore ¹ ( defs. 6, 9 ) perhaps continuation of Middle English, Old English fore in this sense, or as shortening of afore

Origin of fore²

First recorded in 1875–80; probably shortening of before

Origin of fore-³

Combining form representing Middle English, Old English for ( e )

Explanation

The front of a ship is called the fore, and the back is the "aft." A cruise ship might be so large that your cabin at the ship's fore is almost a quarter mile from your sister's in the aft. Fore also refers more generally to something at or near the front, like someone who's at the fore of her profession as a pastry chef. As an adjective, fore also describes things close to the front — your puppy's fore legs are the ones in front. When golfers shout, "Fore!" it's a warning to watch out for the ball, or to "look ahead."

Example Sentences

"It is a combination of a real standout of its era, a winning team and then the first real kind of expressive design coming to the fore."

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

The stock market’s soaring tech-led rally may have finally met its match as an old foe returned to the fore.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

That was just fractionally lower than April of last year, when tariff concerns were at the fore.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Bell's role as a senior player has come to the fore since Christmas, despite England's lack of competitive matches since their 50-over World Cup campaign ended in the semi-finals in October in India.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Without thinking, all the courtly manners my mother had drilled into me came to the fore.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss