2 early
Function:
adjectiveInflected forms:
earlier; earliestMeaning:
1 a : existing or happening near the beginning of a period of time ▪ early morning ▪ the early 20th century ▪ He is in his early thirties. [=he is about 31 or 32 years old] ▪ She works the early shift. [=the shift that is in the early part of the day] ▪ It was still early (in the morning) when she got out of bed. —opposite late b always used before a noun : happening near the beginning of a process, activity, series, etc. ▪ the early symptoms of the disease ▪ the composer's early works [=works created at the beginning of the composer's career] ▪ The early part of the book is better than the later part.
2 a : coming or happening before the usual or expected time ▪ We had an early spring this year. ▪ an early bedtime ▪ We're early. The show doesn't start for half an hour. —opposite late b : doing something before the usual time or before others usually do ▪ I've always been an early riser. ▪ My daughter was an early reader. [=she learned to read at a young age] ◊The expression the early bird catches/gets the worm means that people who start or arrive before others are more likely to succeed. —opposite late
2 a : coming or happening before the usual or expected time ▪ We had an early spring this year. ▪ an early bedtime ▪ We're early. The show doesn't start for half an hour. —opposite late b : doing something before the usual time or before others usually do ▪ I've always been an early riser. ▪ My daughter was an early reader. [=she learned to read at a young age] ◊The expression the early bird catches/gets the worm means that people who start or arrive before others are more likely to succeed. —opposite late
early days (yet)
Brit —used to say that it is too soon to know how something will turn out ▪ Things haven't gone well so far, but it's early days yet.
early hours —see hour
get/make an early start
: to get started on a journey, activity, etc., early in the day ▪ We want to make an early start tomorrow.
make an early night of it
: to go home or go to bed early ▪ They decided to make an early night of it.