fore
fore — noun
1. a position where something becomes noticed, important, or actively discussed by
a position where something becomes noticed, important, or actively discussed by many people; used almost always in the phrases "to the fore," "come to the fore," and "bring to the fore."
Climate change came to the fore after the severe floods across Southeast Asia.
come to the fore — become noticed / important
The war brought issues of national security to the fore in public debate.
bring [something] to the fore
The mayor's housing reform plan pushed affordable housing to the fore during the city council debate.
The museum curator brought the forgotten artist's work back to the fore.
- prominence
more formal; 'rise to prominence' is a common equivalent of 'come to the fore'
- spotlight
more figurative; 'in the spotlight' suggests media attention specifically
- obscurity
opposite state — being unknown or unnoticed
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the fixed phrases "to the fore" (after verbs like come, bring, push, step) rather than as a standalone noun.
2. the forward area of a ship, boat, or aircraft, positioned at the end opposite th
the forward area of a ship, boat, or aircraft, positioned at the end opposite the stern or rear.
The captain ordered all passengers to move toward the fore of the ferry.
nautical: fore of the [vessel]
A storage compartment is located in the fore of the cargo plane.
The sailing crew checked the rigging from fore to aft before leaving the harbour.
The lifeboats are stored near the fore of the cruise ship for quick access.
- aft
the rear portion of a ship or aircraft
用法筆記
The paired phrase "fore and aft" (from front to back) is a common fixed expression on ships. The opposite of "fore" is "aft." Compare with adjective/1 (SITUATED IN FRONT) for attributive uses like 'fore hatch,' and adverb/1 (TOWARD THE FRONT [NAUTICAL]) for directional uses like 'move fore.'
fore — adverb
1. situated at or moving toward the forward area of a ship, boat, or aircraft; used
situated at or moving toward the forward area of a ship, boat, or aircraft; used when giving onboard directions.
The first mate shouted for the deckhands to move fore and check the mooring lines.
move fore — nautical direction
All passengers seated fore must return to their seats during the storm.
The cargo is stored fore, near the bow of the container ship.
The navigator asked the lookout to stay fore and watch for floating debris.
用法筆記
This adverb is almost exclusively used in nautical and aviation contexts. In everyday English, 'forward' is far more common. The opposite direction is 'aft.' Compare with noun/2 (FRONT OF SHIP) for the noun phrase 'the fore of the ship' and adjective/1 (SITUATED IN FRONT) for attributive uses like 'fore cabin.'
fore — exclamation
1. a warning cry shouted on a golf course when a ball is flying toward another pers
a warning cry shouted on a golf course when a ball is flying toward another person who may be in danger of being hit.
The golfer sliced his drive toward the next tee and yelled, "Fore!" at the top of his lungs.
shouted as a warning in golf
As soon as the ball curved left, the instructor shouted "Fore!" to warn the group ahead.
Hearing the cry of "Fore!", the hikers on the fairway quickly ducked behind a tree.
The caddie yelled "Fore!" when a stray shot flew toward the parking lot.
用法筆記
Believed to come from the older expression 'forecaddie' (a person who walks ahead to spot where balls land). Shouting 'Fore!' is both a safety rule and a golf etiquette requirement on courses worldwide.
fore — prefix
1. added productively to a noun to form a transparent compound meaning 'the front p
added productively to a noun to form a transparent compound meaning 'the front part or section of something.' The resulting word's meaning can be guessed from the base noun — for example, forecourt is 'the front courtyard' and foreleg is 'the front leg.'
The horse injured its foreleg during the jump and had to be rested for a month.
foreleg = front leg of an animal
The artist carefully painted the figures in the foreground of the landscape in bright colours.
foreground = front part of a picture / scene
A small fountain stood in the forecourt of the old palace.
The author thanked her editor in the foreword to the novel.
文法句型
fore- + noun
用法筆記
This prefix attaches productively to common nouns — if you know the base noun, you can generally work out the meaning of the compound. The resulting words are transparent (forecourt = front court, foreleg = front leg). This differs from fixed lexicalised compounds such as forehead and forearm, which are stored as whole vocabulary items and listed under the combining-form entries above.
常見錯誤
fore — adjective
- forepositive
- forercomparative
- forestsuperlative
1. located at or positioned toward the front part of something, especially a ship o
located at or positioned toward the front part of something, especially a ship or aircraft. Used attributively.
The fore hatch of the submarine was sealed before the dive.
nautical: fore hatch = front hatch
Damage to the fore section of the fuselage caused the plane to turn back.
The fore cabin of the yacht has a large window overlooking the bow.
Sailors sleeping in the fore berth feel the rocking motion most strongly.
用法筆記
This adjective is mostly found in technical, military, or nautical writing. In everyday English, 'front' or 'forward' is preferred.
2. earlier in time or order; belonging to a previous period or series.
earlier in time or order; belonging to a previous period or series.
The fore part of the novel covers the protagonist's childhood in rural Japan.
fore part = earlier section of a book or period
In the fore part of the expedition, the team documented several new species of insects.
The fore chapters of the textbook introduce basic concepts before moving to advanced topics.
The fore part of the queen's reign brought prosperity to the kingdom.
- later
opposite order in time or sequence
- subsequent
formal opposite
用法筆記
This sense is now largely archaic or formal. In modern English, 'former,' 'earlier,' or 'previous' are far more common. You are most likely to encounter it in older literary texts.
fore — preposition
1. standing before a person who holds authority, such as a ruler, judge, or officia
standing before a person who holds authority, such as a ruler, judge, or official.
The knight swore his oath fore the king and the assembled court.
archaic: fore [person of authority]
The accused was made to stand fore the magistrate and answer the charges.
The priest spoke the blessing fore the entire congregation.
In the old custom, the groom knelt fore the bride's parents to ask for their blessing.
- before
the standard modern equivalent
- in front of
less formal; more common in everyday speech
用法筆記
This preposition is archaic in modern English. You will find it in historical novels, legal documents from past centuries, and religious texts. Today, 'before' or 'in the presence of' is used instead.
2. earlier in time than a particular event or point in time; equivalent to 'before.
earlier in time than a particular event or point in time; equivalent to 'before.'
Fore the harvest festival, the villagers would decorate their homes with flowers and ribbons.
archaic: fore [event] = before
Fore sunrise, the fishing boats would already be heading out to sea.
Fore the battle, the general addressed his troops with a stirring speech.
The treaty was signed fore the end of the winter season.
用法筆記
This temporal sense of 'fore' is archaic. It survives in fixed phrases such as 'fore time immemorial' and in some regional dialects of Scotland and Northern England. The standard modern word is 'before.'
fore — combining form
1. added to verbs or nouns to indicate that an action or event happens earlier in t
added to verbs or nouns to indicate that an action or event happens earlier in time — before something else occurs. Found in words such as foresee, forecast, foretell, forewarn, and foreword.
Meteorologists can now forecast the weather up to two weeks in advance with reasonable accuracy.
forecast — predict (weather, trends) in advance
The analyst could not have foreseen the sudden drop in oil prices that shook the global market.
foresee — know about something before it happens
Dr. Okafor forewarned his patients about the possible side effects of the new medication.
No one could foretell the impact that social media would have on political campaigns.
The professor wrote a short foreword for his former student's first published book.
文法句型
fore- + verb/noun
用法筆記
This combining form attaches to common verbs (foresee, foretell, forewarn) and nouns (forecast, foreword). Unlike the prefix sense meaning 'front part,' this sense relates to time — doing or knowing something before others. Commonly confused pairs: 'foreword' (introductory text) vs. 'forward' (direction).
常見錯誤
2. appears in fixed, fully lexicalised nouns where fore- and the base form a standa
appears in fixed, fully lexicalised nouns where fore- and the base form a standard compound stored in memory as a single unit, not created on the spot. Most such words are body parts (forehead, forearm, forefinger) or established metaphorical terms (forefront). The base word alone may not clearly suggest the combined meaning.
The hiker wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his sleeve.
forehead = standard lexicalised compound
Taiwan remains at the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing technology worldwide.
forefront = standard lexicalised metaphor
The nurse gently held the patient's forearm while inserting the IV needle.
The detective pointed at the map with his forefinger to show where the suspect had been seen.
- front
standalone adjective; 'fore-' is bound to another word
文法句型
fore- + noun
用法筆記
These are fixed compounds that native speakers learn as whole words. You cannot freely create new compounds with this combining form — only the established words exist. This differs from the productive prefix sense (fore- + noun = transparent compound), where you can combine fore- with any suitable noun to create a clear meaning, as in forecourt or foreword.
3. added to a nautical term to refer to things related to the foremast — the front
added to a nautical term to refer to things related to the foremast — the front mast of a sailing ship — such as the sails, rigging, or crew quarters attached to or near it.
The crew scrambled up the rigging to furl the foresail as the wind picked up strength.
foresail — the main sail on the foremast
The forecastle was cramped but dry, giving the sailors a place to sleep below the main deck.
forecastle (fo'c's'le) — crew quarters in the front of a ship
The old whaling ship had a damaged foremast that needed urgent repairs.
The lookout climbed to the foretop to scan the horizon for land.
文法句型
fore- + nautical noun
用法筆記
This combining form is limited to historical and modern sailing terminology. Common formations include 'foremast' (the mast itself), 'foresail' (the sail on the foremast), 'forecastle' or 'fo'c's'le' (the forward part of a ship where sailors live), and 'foretop' (a platform on the foremast). These terms are rarely used outside nautical contexts.