(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.
the period preceding or leading up to any event, crisis, etc.: on the eve of the American Revolution.
The company has an ethical obligation not to delay a product that is ready to save lives, despite the risk that a vaccine announced on the eve of a contentious election could stoke partisan perceptions.
How to Tell a Political Stunt From a Real Vaccine|by Caroline Chen, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson|September 26, 2020|ProPublica
Nevertheless, it’s possible that sometime in October, a judge has been nominated and perhaps confirmation hearings are taking place, right on the eve of the election.
What Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Death Could Mean For 2020 And The Supreme Court|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|September 19, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
A cautionary tale of poor ventilation comes from Guangzhou, China, on the eve of Lunar New Year.
COVID-19 case clusters offer lessons and warnings for reopening|Helen Thompson|June 18, 2020|Science News
Liu was nearing the 20th anniversary of his arrival in America, having landed from China on Christmas Eve, 1994, at the age of 12.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, in the greatest age of science ever, Americans are debating whether Adam and Eve rode dinosaurs.
Honey Boo Boo, Snake Oil, and Ebola: The Weird World of Young Living Essential Oils|Kent Sepkowitz|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is matched six months away by the festival of May Day and by the eve of Walpurgis Night which precedes it.
Joseph Campbell on the Roots of Halloween|Joseph Campbell|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The escalatory ladder is far more terrifying than it was on the eve of the millennium.
ICYMI: India-Pakistan Head for Nuke War|Bruce Riedel|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When I met him, on the eve of the first debate, he was dressed in a natty gray suit and was the picture of serenity.
Behind the Scenes With a ‘Site Agent’: The Secret Service’s Hardest Job|Marc Ambinder|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Eve ate that particular apple, she became aware of her own womanhood, mentally.
Fantasia of the Unconscious|D. H. Lawrence
I am now, after a reſidence of more than three years, amidſt the chaos of a revolution, on the eve of my departure from France.
A Residence in France During the Years 1792, 1793, 1794 and 1795, Complete|An English Lady
And I let you call me Eve because you said she was the first woman man ever loved.
Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays|Various
On the eve of the expected conflict, the son of Ahmed Khan, with other Douranee chiefs, deserted to the royal standard.
History of the War in Afghanistan, Vol. I (of 3)|Sir John William Kaye
But that evening, when Eve had said good-night and started towards her lodge, Paul rose and followed her.
Jupiter Lights|Constance Fenimore Woolson
British Dictionary definitions for eve (1 of 2)
eve
/ (iːv) /
noun
the evening or day before some special event or festival
(capital when part of a name)New Year's Eve
the period immediately before an eventon the eve of civil war
an archaic word for evening
Word Origin for eve
C13: variant of even ²
British Dictionary definitions for eve (2 of 2)
Eve
/ (iːv) /
noun
Old Testamentthe first woman; mother of the human race, fashioned by God from the rib of Adam (Genesis 2:18-25)