fore
fore Lexical Profile
fore Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Situated or placed in front; toward the bow of a ship or the front of an aircraft or animal.
"The passengers gathered on the fore deck to watch the ship enter the harbor."
• noun
The front part or a position of prominence and public attention (used chiefly in the phrase "to the fore").
"Issues of environmental sustainability have come to the fore in recent municipal elections."
• interjection
Used as a shouted warning in golf to alert people ahead that a ball is flying in their direction.
"When his tee shot sliced toward the neighboring fairway, he immediately yelled, "Fore!""
• adverb
In, near, or toward the bow of a ship or the front of an aircraft.
"The captain walked fore and aft to inspect the vessel before departure."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse "fore" with its homophones "for" (a preposition indicating purpose or recipient) and "four" (the number 4). As a noun, "fore" is used almost exclusively in the fixed idiom "to the fore."
• Rhymes for fore
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English fore ("before, in front of"), tracing back to Proto-Germanic *fura and the Proto-Indo-European root *per- ("forward, through"). The golf warning cry dates to the late 18th century in Scotland, likely shortened from "ware before!" to alert caddies stationed ahead to spot balls.