3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Ere \Ere\ ([=a]r or [^a]r; 277), preposition & adverb [AS. [=ae]r, preposition , adverb, & conj.; akin to OS., OFries., & OHG. [=e]r, G. eher, D. eer, Icel. [=a]r, Goth. air. [root]204. Cf. {Early}, {Erst}, {Or}, adverb]

1. Before; sooner than. [Archaic or Poetic]

Myself was stirring ere the break of day. --Shak.

Ere sails were spread new oceans to explore. --Dryden.

Sir, come down ere my child die. --John iv. 49.

2. Rather than.

I will be thrown into Etna, . . . ere I will leave her. --Shak.

{Ere long}, before, shortly. --Shak.

{Ere now}, formerly, heretofore. --Shak.

{Ere that}, & {Or are}. Same as {Ere}. --Shak.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Ere \Ere\, verb (used with an object) To plow. [Obs.] See {Ear}, verb (used with an object) --Chaucer.

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

20 Moby Thesaurus words for "ere": already, ante, before, before all, earlier, early, ere then, erenow, formerly, heretofore, hitherto, in advance of, or ever, preceding, previously, prior to, priorly, theretofore, to, yet