Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Before \Be*fore"\, prep. [OE. beforen, biforen, before, AS.
   beforan; pref. be- + foran, fore, before. See {Be-}, and
   {Fore}.]
   1. In front of; preceding in space; ahead of; as, to stand
      before the fire; before the house.

            His angel, who shall go Before them in a cloud and
            pillar of fire.                       --Milton.

   2. Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior
      to the time when; -- sometimes with the additional idea of
      purpose; in order that.

            Before Abraham was, I am.             --John viii.
                                                  58.

            Before this treatise can become of use, two points
            are necessary.                        --Swift.

   Note: Formerly before, in this sense, was followed by that.
         ``Before that Philip called thee . . . I saw thee.''
         --John i. 48.

   3. An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.

            The golden age . . . is before us.    --Carlyle.

   4. Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or
      worth; rather than.

            He that cometh after me is preferred before me.
                                                  --John i. 15.

            The eldest son is before the younger in succession.
                                                  --Johnson.

   5. In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.

            Abraham bowed down himself before the people. --Gen.
                                                  xxiii. 12.

            Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? --Micah vi.
                                                  6.

   6. Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.

            If a suit be begun before an archdeacon. --Ayliffe.

   7. Open for; free of access to; in the power of.

            The world was all before them where to choose.
                                                  --Milton.

   {Before the mast} (Naut.), as a common sailor, -- because the
      sailors live in the forecastle, forward of the foremast.
      

   {Before the wind} (Naut.), in the direction of the wind and
      by its impulse; having the wind aft.

Before \Be*fore"\, adv.
   1. On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the
      front; -- opposed to {in the rear}.

            The battle was before and behind.     --2 Chron.
                                                  xiii. 14.

   2. In advance. ``I come before to tell you.'' --Shak.

   3. In time past; previously; already.

            You tell me, mother, what I knew before. --Dryden.

   4. Earlier; sooner than; until then.

            When the butt is out, we will drink water; not a
            drop before.                          --Shak.

   Note: Before is often used in self-explaining compounds; as,
         before-cited, before-mentioned; beforesaid.

Source : WordNet®

before
     adv 1: earlier in time; previously; "I had known her before"; "as I
            said before"; "he called me the day before but your
            call had come even earlier"; "her parents had died
            four years earlier"; "I mentioned that problem
            earlier" [syn: {earlier}]
     2: at or in the front; "I see the lights of a town ahead"; "the
        road ahead is foggy"; "staring straight ahead"; "we
        couldn't see over the heads of the people in front"; "with
        the cross of Jesus marching on before" [syn: {ahead}, {in
        front}]