An archaic Scottish adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'before this time'.
Nankervis won’t confirm its prices – its website lists jeans at £25-£30 – abefore its first stores open in the south-east next month but says: “We are not naive.
Lee whacked nine boundaries and a six in a defiant display abefore Caddick had him caught behind then bowled MacGill to complete the victory.
An archaic Scottish adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'before this time'. Encountered in older Scottish texts, poetry, and historical records rather than in contemporary speech. The 'a-' prefix was a common intensifier or modifier in older Scots and northern English dialects. Today this word is primarily of interest to scholars of historical Scots, literature enthusiasts, and linguists. It has no meaningful presence in modern slang or colloquial usage.
"abefore" means an archaic scottish adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'before this time'. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with A.
An obsolete Scottish dialectal form of 'bayonet,' the bladed weapon attached to the end of a rifle. This phonetic spelling reflects how the borrowed French word 'baïonnette' sounded when pronounced in a Scottish accent and transcribed informally in the 17th or 18th century. It appears in historical texts and dialectal word lists but would not be recognized in contemporary usage. Its interest today is primarily linguistic and historical.
Another variant of the internet shorthand for 'forever', sitting alongside '4ever' and '4evah'. The '-a' ending gives it a slightly softer, more casual feel than '4ever'. Typically used in social media bios, fan posts, captions, and affectionate messages to express permanence or undying loyalty. Like its variants, it is associated with early-2000s internet culture but remains active in informal digital writing today.
A rare, humorous, and intentionally absurd variation of automobile, blending standard automotive vocabulary with a mock-archaic or comedic suffix. Used for deliberate comic effect rather than genuine description. Found occasionally in period humor writing and parody contexts. Not in active circulation in contemporary speech; primarily of historical curiosity or novelty value. It appears most often in parodic or mock-pompous registers where the speaker wants to signal that they are playing with the language rather than using it straight.
The scribe noted that such customs had been practised abefore the memory of any man then living.
"abefore" means an archaic scottish adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'before this time'. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"abefore" is informal English meaning an archaic scottish adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'before this time'. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "an archaic scottish adverb meaning 'formerly' or 'before this time'" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "abefore" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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(obsolete, Scottish) formerly.
“Nankervis won’t confirm its prices – its website lists jeans at £25-£30 – abefore its first stores open in the south-east next month but says: “We are not naive.”
“Lee whacked nine boundaries and a six in a defiant display abefore Caddick had him caught behind then bowled MacGill to complete the victory.”
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