aforetime

1. archaicnot comparableIn time past; in a former time; formerly.

   She and the Tertium Quid enjoyed each other's society among the graves of men and women whom they had known and danced with aforetime.

   1889, Rudyard Kipling, “At the Pit's Mouth”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 52

   1 more example

   Then I walked about, till I found on the further side, a great river of sweet water, running with a strong current; whereupon I called to mind the boat-raft I had made aforetime and said to myself, "Needs must I make another; haply I may free me from this strait.[…]"

   1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 564

   Synonyms: aforetimes

1. archaicnot comparableFormer.

   To him, despite the housekeeper, there was an impropriety in Ursula, the elderly ex-parson, and Andrew living under the one roof - a matter that, for all his aforetime vigilance, had escaped Mr. Civil.

   1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 212

plural aforetimes

1. archaicA former time.

   Prov. 8:23 מקַּדמי ארץ really means from all the aforetimes of the earth.

   2002, Michael L. Morgan, editor, Spinoza: Complete Works with Translations by Samuel Shirley, Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 615

   3 more examples

   In the modern kitchen waste is guarded against as strenuously as ever in the aforetimes; but the remnants are used with knowledge—with a scientific attention to flavor and to the nature of the ingredients.

   1902 February, Pascal Grand, “A Chef and His Development”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume XXVI, number 5, New York, N.Y.: Frank A[ndrew] Munsey, section “The Choice of Utensils”, page 635, column 1

   The aforetime of stereotyping residence styles, so to speak, has been abandoned altogether, and, inside of uniformity, variety is sought to be developed by the architects.

   1909 November 14, “Oakland Is on the Eve of Great Developments; Realty Men Looking South; Western Pacific Improvements Creating New Prospects and Waterfront Improvement Opening New Vistas of Realty Values”, in Oakland Tribune, volume LXXII, number 86, Oakland, Calif., Real Estate section, page 37, column 1

   Joue contre joue deux gueuses en leur détresse roidie; / La gelée et le vent ne les ont point instruites, les ont négligées; / Enfants d’arrière-histoire / Tombées des saisons dépassantes et serrées là debout.

   2009, René Char, translated by Gustaf Sobin, “October’s Judgment”, in The Brittle Age and Returning Upland, Denver, Colo.: Counterpath Press, →ISBN, page 135