Also 6 Sc. foir. [The use of fore as adj. arises out of an analysis of sbs. which are combinations of FORE- pref., e.g., forepart. These being occasionally written as two words, the first member came to be treated as an adj.]
I. As adj. in concord.
1. Situated or appearing in front, or in front of something else; usually with an opposition expressed or implied to back, hind-.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xlii. 68.
| Than Bissiness the grit gyn bend, | |
| Straik doun the top of the foir tour. |
c. 1540. Order in Battayll, A vij b. When thou hast invaded thyne enemyes with the fore and hynder warde.
a. 1639. Spottiswood, Hist. Ch. Scot., V. (1655), 271. The Castle was made assaultable, the Cannon having made great breaches in the fore and back Walls.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., Introd. v. (1669), 17/1. When God answers our Prayer not in the Letter, or when the thing it self is sent, but it comes in at the Back-door, while we are expecting it at the Fore.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 107. In the fore side of this wooden Piece is a square hole.
1715. Cheyne, Philos. Princ. Relig., I. i. (ed. 2), 13. The Resistance in Fluids arises from their greater Pressing on the Fore, than Hind part of the Bodies moving in them.
1762. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, V. xxvi. Susannah had but just time to make her escape down the back-stairs, as my mother came up the fore.
1805. Forsyth, Beauties Scotl., II. 192. In the fore wall of the church, between the third window from the west and the door on the east of that window, there has plainly been an aperture, and arch-formed, at the first building of the church.
1880. Huxley, Crayfish, ii. 61. The alimentary canal may therefore be distinguished into a fore and a hind-gut, which have a thick internal lining of cuticular membrane; and a very short mid-gut, which has no thick cuticular layer.
† 2. Anterior, previous, former. Obs.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxiv. 90. The fore loue reneweth hym selfe, that torneth soone to madnes, whan it can not be recouered.
1526. R. Whytford, Martiloge (1893), 84. [The duke] dyd the moost vyle & commun seruyce of ony other notwithstandyng his fore estate.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Esdras, vii. 12. The intraunces of the fore worlde were wyde and sure, and brought immortall frute.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 12. The great musicke maisters who excelled in fore time.
a. 1634. Chapman, Alphonsus, Plays, 1873, III. 239. Alexander and Mentz have the fore dance with each of them a glass of Wine in their hands.
1718. Entertainer, xxvi. 175. That Place which in a fore Time was Stil’d the Temple of Dagon; those that frequented it the Sons of Belial, the Assembly of Scoffers, and Children of Darkness.
II. quasi-sb. or elliptically.
3. The fore part of anything, e.g., the bow of a ship, the fore-quarter of beef, etc.
1888. Pall Mall G., 16 Jan., 14/1. The sensation was stronger in the fore of sailing vessels.
1890. Daily News, 11 July, 2/8. American refrigerated hind-quarters … thirds … fores.
b. Naut. (At) the fore: (see quot. 1883).
1860. Motley, Netherl., II. xix. 475. Medina Sidonia hoisted the royal standard at the fore, and the whole fleet did its utmost, which was little, to offer general battle.
1883. W. C. Russell, Sailor’s Lang., Fore.… At the fore, means at the fore-royal mast-head.
4. To the fore. (Sc. and Anglo-Irish phrase, introduced into English literary use in the 19th c.) a. Of a person: Present, on the spot, within call.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., clviii. (1863), I. 363. If Christ had not been to the fore, in our sad days, the waters had gone over our soul.
1656. Earl Monm., Advt. fr. Parnass., 416. The breaking of the scales was the cause why some Italian Princes who were yet to the fore, could not be weighed.
1726. R. Erskine, Sonnets, II. i. § 6.
| Yield not, tho’ cunning Satan bribe, | |
| Or like a Lion rore; | |
| The Lion strong of Judah’s Tribe, | |
| Thy Husband’s to the fore. |
1815. Scott, Guy M., xlv. ‘I wuss auld Sherra Pleydell was to the fore here!’
1829. Mrs. S. C. Hall, Sk. Irish Char., II. 15. Why didn’t you give it me, and I to the fore?
1852. Lever, Daltons, II. xxxv. 324. If he hasn’t me to the fore, to prove what I said, he can do nothing.
b. Still surviving, alive.
1695. Earl Cromarty, Vindic. Robt. III., 14. The said Lord John, after the Death of his said Father, being to the fore, and on Life, by the Grace of God, should be King of Scotland, as lawful Heir of his said Father.
1724. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 22.
| For as lang’s Sandy’s to the fore, | |
| Ye never shall get Nansy. |
1787. Burns, Lett. W. Nicol, 1 June. I’ll be in Dumfries the morn gif the beast be to the fore, and the branks bide hale.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xliii. ‘While this grey head is to the fore, not a clute o’ them but sall be as weel cared for as if they were the fatted kine of Pharaoh.’
1888. J. Payn, Myst. Mirbridge, vi. Mr. Morris, the steward, indeed, though stricken in years, was still to the fore.
† c. To the fore with: in advance of. Obs.
1646. R. Baillie, Lett. (1775), II. 221. I am now two to the fore with you, albeit I wrote none the last post.
d. Of money, etc.: Ready at or to hand, forthcoming; available. † To go to the fore: to be put to one’s credit.
1636. Rutherford, Lett., lxx. (1863), I. 181. Therefore my wages are going to the fore, up in heaven, as if I were still preaching Christ.
1640. Dumbarton Burgh Rec., in J. Irving, Hist. Dumbartonshire (1860), 525. Gif thay had common guid to the foir.
1660. Sharp, Lett., 11 May, in Wodrow, Hist. Suff. Ch. Scotl. (1722), I. Introd., p. xxv. Having asked how Mr. Smith was, he said laughing, Is his broad Sword to the fore?
1639. R. Baillie, Lett. (1775), I. 126. He had a good estate, and well to the fore.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, viii. If these are not to the fore, it is the Provost’s fault, and not the town’s.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xxv. How many captains in the regiment have two thousand pounds to the fore, think you?
e. In recent use sometimes taken to mean ‘in full view, conspicuous.’ So to come to the fore occurs for: ‘to come to the front,’ ‘to come into view.’
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Auto-da-Fé.
| Of magnificent structures around, perhaps more, | |
| As our Irish friends have it, are there ‘to the fore.’ |
1876. World, V. No. 106, 5. These vermin seldom venture to come to the fore themselves.
1880. Manch. Guard., 23 Nov. The vexed question of local taxation reform must come to the fore next session.
