[Sửa]Untimely, premature; inopportune, inappropriate: Theearly fruit isn't as sweet.
[Sửa]Initial, beginning, original,first, pioneer, advanced: He was one of the earliest writers onthe subject.
[Sửa]Primeval, primitive, primordial, ancient, old,prehistoric, antediluvian, original; antique, antiquated: TheOlduvai Gorge has yielded up many early humanoid fossils.
[Sửa]Adj. & adv. (earlier, earliest) 1 beforethe due, usual, or expected time (was early for my appointment;the train arrived early).
[Sửa]A not far on in the day or night,or in time (early evening; at the earliest opportunity). bprompt (early payment appreciated; at your earliestconvenience).
[Sửa]A not far on in a period, development, orprocess of evolution; being the first stage (Early Englisharchitecture; the early Christians; early Spring). b of thedistant past (early man). c not far on in a sequence or serialorder (the early chapters; appears early in the list).
[Sửa]A ofchildhood, esp. the preschool years (early learning). b (of apiece of writing, music, etc.) immature, youthful (an earlywork).
[Sửa]Forward in flowering, ripening, etc. (early peaches).
[Sửa]N. (pl. -ies) (usu. in pl.) an early fruit or vegetable,esp. potatoes.
[Sửa]At the earliest (often placed after a specifiedtime) not before (will arrive on Monday at the earliest). earlybird colloq. one who arrives, gets up, etc. early. earlyclosing Brit. the shutting of business premises on theafternoon of one particular day of the week. early days earlyin time for something to happen etc. early grave an untimely orpremature death. early hours the very early morning, usu.before dawn. early (or earlier) on at an early (or earlier)stage. early warning advance warning of an imminent (esp.nuclear) attack.
[Sửa]Earliness n. [orig. as adv., f. OE ‘rlice,arlice (‘r ERE)]