foreanswer

foreanswer

See also: fore-answer

English

Alternative forms

• fore-answer

Etymology

From fore- +‎ answer.

Verb

foreanswer (third-person singular simple present foreanswers, present participle foreanswering, simple past and past participle foreanswered)

1. To answer beforehand or in advance
   • 1812, John Randolph, Enchiridion Theologicum:

     But notwithstanding he has fore-answered from the nature of things all that he can say about different interpretations, yet he proceeds in twenty tedious pages to enumerate those differences, which lie ranges under twelve heads; [...]

   • 1900, Irving Bacheller, Eben Holden: A Tale of the North Country - Page 298:

     It seemed a little severe to be shut away from her now but Mrs. Fuller's manner had fore-answered any appeal and I held my peace.

   • 1930, The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art:

     [...] and whether that buying public can really be increased to the extent hoped for by the dollar-book publishers is a question that cannot easily be foreanswered.

   • 1962, Clement Cleveland Sawtell, The Ship Ann Alexander of New Bedford:

     "Moby Dick" was in the press as news of the Ann Alexander's disaster travelled round the world, providing testimony well calculated to conspire with the publishers of that now famous book, and to foreanswer and confound the author's critics of whom there were not a few.