situated at or toward the front, as compared with something else.
previous; earlier.
cities that existed in a fore time.
Nautical.
of or relating to a foremast.
noting a sail, yard, boom, etc., or any rigging belonging to a fore lower mast or to some upper mast of a foremast.
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.
situated at or toward the bow of a vessel; forward.
Nautical. at or toward the bow.
Obsolete. before.
the front part
something located at, in, or towards the front
short for foremast
located at or directed towards both ends of a vessel
a fore-and-aft rig
to or into the front or conspicuous position
alive or active
is your grandfather still to the fore?
at or towards a ship's bow
obsolete before
before in time or rank
foresight
forefather
foreman
at or near the front; before in place
forehead
forecourt
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.
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
First recorded in 1875–80; probably shortening of before
Combining form representing Middle English, Old English for ( e )
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."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As much as the Portugal forward may say otherwise, seeing the biggest stars in world football come to the fore at this tournament would have been a source of motivation.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 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
"Then for others to come to the fore who can communicate the message, who are very able, so we can have minimum fuss."
From BBC • May 9, 2026
Another data issue came to the fore last week when Commerce published its January PCE reading.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
The green was maggoty with fore shortened life.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
