ere
1 of 2preposition
ˈer 
old-fashioned + literary
: preceding in time : earlier than : before entry 2 sense 2
ere nightfall
'The wind is north from the snows,' said Aragorn. 'And ere morning it will be in the East,' said Legolas.
J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkienere
2 of 2conjunction
old-fashioned + literary
: before entry 3
"Rumor has it that there will be a wedding in our village ere the daisies are in bloom. … " Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud MontgomeryI was scarcely in position ere my enemies began to arrive … Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Synonyms
Preposition
- afore [chiefly dialect]
- ahead of
- before
- fore [chiefly dialect]
- 'fore
- of
- previous to
- prior to
- to
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Preposition an old typewriter that was a relic of that ancient time ere the invention of personal computers
Word History
Etymology
Preposition
Middle English er, from Old English ǣr, from ǣr, adverb, early, soon; akin to Old High German ēr earlier, Greek ēri early
First Known Use
Preposition
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Conjunction
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
ere 1 of 2
preposition
ˈer
: before entry 2 sense 2
"… we shall hear more of them ere long." Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped
Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnappedere
2 of 2conjunction
: before entry 3 sense 4
… here he muses for a time … ere he departs. Jack London, The Call of the Wild
Jack London, The Call of the Wildere
preposition
as in before
earlier than an old typewriter that was a relic of that ancient time ere the invention of personal computers Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- before
- to
- 'fore
- till
- prior to
- of
- previous to
- afore
- fore
- until
- ahead of
- in advance of
- up to
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- after
- following
- since
- next
- next to