[f. FORE prep. + NOON.]
1. The portion of the day before noon.
1506. Guylforde, Pilgr. (Camden), 35. We went to Mounte Syon to masse, and there sayde our seruyce and spent that fore noone there in prayers and deuocion.
1582. N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., iii. 10. At tenne of the Clocke in the fore noone, they came to the Rocke aforesayde.
1669. J. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 168. When your Plants or Seeds are more hardy, and the Nights yet cold, water in the Fore-noons.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., II. xxxiii. 12. Most Gentlemen and Ladies in Bengal live both splendidly and pleasantly, the Fore-noons being dedicated to Business.
1838. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., I. 107. He sat with me one forenoon, last week, for a whole hour and a half, rhapsodising about you all the while.
1871. Black, Adv. Phaeton, xxvi. 352. As the trap was likely to arrive that forenoon, and as he had to see the man who would bring it, he begged us to start for our forenoon’s walk by ourselves.
2. attrib.
a. 1602. W. Perkins, Cases Consc. (1619), 325. Some persons, who (as the Prouerb is) are good forenoone-men, but bad afternoone-men; because in the morning they be sober, but for the most part, ouer come with drinke after dinner.
1658. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., II. xii. § 3. 138. Like some Physicians, that they call fore-noon men, they that would speak with them to any purpose, must come in the morning, because commonly they are drunk in the afternoon.
a. 1806. Yng. Beichan & Susie Pye, xxxviii., in Child, Ballads, II. liii. (1884), 471/1.
| Then out and spak the forenoon bride: | |
| ‘My lord, your love it changeth soon; | |
| This morning I was made your bride, | |
| And another chose ere it be noon.’ |
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xix. (1859), 542. Every chime smiting on my soul as if an angel spoke, to warn me, that my stormy forenoon watch is at length over.
1878. Huxley, Physiography, 9. The afternoon shadow will then be just as much on one side of the meridian line as the forenoon shadow was on the other side.
