avant

English

Etymology

Abbreviated from avant-guard.

Noun

avant (plural avants)

1. (obsolete) The front of an army; the vanguard.

Related terms

• van

References

• avant in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1914

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Anglo-Norman

Alternative forms

• avaunt

Adverb

avant

1. before; earlier (with respect to time)

References

• avant on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

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French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French avant (“before, prior in time, forward”), from Vulgar Latin abante (“before, in front of”) (compare Classical Latin ante (“before, in front of”)), from Latin ab (“of, from”) + ante (“before”). More at ante.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /avã/

• audio

  (file)

Adverb

avant

1. beforehand; earlier

   Je l'avais fait avant. - I had done it beforehand.

Preposition

avant

1. before (in time)

   Elle est arrivé un jour avant moi. - She arrived one day before me.

   Il faut se laver avant de manger. - You must wash before eating

   Tais-toi avant que je ne te tue. - Shut up before I kill you

2. before (in space), in front of, ahead of

Related terms

• auparavant
• auvent
• avant-bras
• avant-centre
• avant-coureur
• avant-dernier
• avant-goût
• avant-guerre
• avant-hier
• avant la lettre
• avant-poste
• avant-propos
• avant-veille
• avant que de
• bond en avant
• d'avant
• en avant

Noun

avant m. (plural avants)

1. front

   l'avant d'une voiture

2. (sports) forward

Anagrams

• vanta

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Old French

Adverb

avant

1. beforehand; earlier

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Romansch

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin abante, from Latin ab + ante, from Proto-Indo-European *ant- (“front, forehead”).

Preposition

avant

1. before