eve

¹

[eev]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter),  the evening or the day before a holiday, church festival, or any date or event.

   Christmas Eve; the eve of an execution.

2. the period preceding or leading up to any event, crisis, etc..

   on the eve of the American Revolution.

3. the evening.

Eve

²

[eev]

noun

1. (in the Bible) the name of the first woman: wife of Adam and progenitor of the human race.

2. a female given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “life.”

eve

¹

/ iːv /

noun

1. 1. the evening or day before some special event or festival

   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      New Year's Eve

2. the period immediately before an event

   on the eve of civil war

3. an archaic word for evening

Eve

²

/ iːv /

noun

1. Old Testament the first woman; mother of the human race, fashioned by God from the rib of Adam (Genesis 2:18-25)

Eve

1. In the Book of Genesis, the first woman. (See Adam and Eve and Creation.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of eve¹

1200–50; Middle English; variant of even ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of eve¹

C13: variant of _even ²

Idioms and Phrases

see on the eve of.

Example Sentences

Some sources suggest the two met on the eve of the battle.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On the eve of the holiday, the Senate voted to give itself a legal cause of action that is routinely denied to Americans not holding elected office—including veterans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The audience stood and a fanfare played as the royals entered the concert hall to commemorate those who lost their lives in service, on the eve of Remembrance Sunday.

Read more on BBC

He eventually endorsed former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who ran as an Independent after losing the primary in June — on the eve of the election.

Read more on Salon

Opinion polls indicate Mamdani is ahead of his main rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on the eve of Tuesday's vote.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• brink 
• night 
• verge