at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties"
being or occurring at an early stage of development; "in an early stage"; "early forms of life"; "early man"; "an early computer"
of an early stage in the development of a language or literature; "the Early Hebrew alphabetical script is that used mainly from the 11th to the 6th centuries B.C."; "Early Modern English is represented in documents printed from 1476 to 1700"
very young; "at an early age"
expected in the near future; "look for an early end to the negotiations"
before the usual time or the time expected; "she graduated early"; "the house was completed ahead of time"
supply with necessities and support; "She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep"
a crosspiece spreading the gunnels of a boat; used as a seat in a rowboat
hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent"
appeal or request earnestly; "I pleaded with him to stop"
enter a plea, as in courts of law; "She pleaded not guilty"
offer as an excuse or plea; "She was pleading insanity"
make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts
past times (especially in the phrase `in days of old')
of a very early stage in development; "Old English is also called Anglo Saxon"; "Old High German is High German from the middle of the 9th to the end of the 11th century"
old in experience; "an old offender"; "the older soldiers"
of long duration; not new; "old tradition"; "old house"; "old wine"; "old country"; "old friendships"; "old money"
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age; "an old man's eagle mind"--William Butler Yeats; "his mother is very old"; "a ripe old age"; "how old are you?"
a book (or manuscript) consisting of large sheets of paper folded in the middle to make two leaves or four pages; "the first folio of Shakespeare's plays"