foreday

• fore-day

From Middle English *foreday (attested only in plural foredais), equivalent to fore- +‎ day.

foreday (plural foredays)

1. (in the plural, chiefly poetic, archaic) Past or former days
   • 1847 [c. 1200], Frederic Madden, Layamon's Brut, Or Chronicle of Britain, translation of original by Layamon:

     This same token should be of Luces the emperor, and of the Senators [of Rome], who with him came from Rome [thither]; ' and in the same wise, they there gan fall;' what Merlin in foredays said, all they it found there, as they did ere, and subsequently well everywhere; ere Arthur were born, Merlin it all [all it is] predicted.

   • 1897, Dugald Ferguson, Poems of the Heart, page 79:

     When the English horsemen shivered
     On the foredays' glorious strife,
     By his spearmen, and De Clifford
     Yielded both the wreath and life.

   • 2016, David Udo, “The Last Days”, in The Ripples:

     We bend our knees to the ground
     Seeking refuge from the One on High
     To redeem us from the
     Prophesies of the fore-days
     Consigning these daysafter
     The last days, as the evil days.

2. (dialect) The earlier part of the day; the morning or early afternoon.

• (past days): foretime, yestertide; see also Thesaurus:the past
• (morning): forenoon, morn; see also Thesaurus:morning
• (early afternoon): undermeal, undertide; see also Thesaurus:afternoon

• feodary, forayed