forth

Adverb

forth (not comparable)

1. Forward in time, place or degree.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 159:

     From this time forth, I never will speak word.

   • 1709-1725, John Strype, Annals of the Reformation in England:

     say forth

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     “ […] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.

2. Out into view; from a particular place or position.

   The plants in spring put forth leaves.

   The robbers leapt forth from their place of concealment.

   • 1949, Joseph Campbell, “The Hero and the God”, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces:

     A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: […]

3. (obsolete) Beyond a (certain) boundary; away; abroad; out.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:

     I have no mind of feasting forth to-night.

   • 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros‎, London: Jonathan Cape, page 24:

     At the clashing of the cymbals the King sprang at Goldry as the panther springeth, and with the rush bare him backward and well nigh forth of the wrastling ground.

Preposition

forth

1. (obsolete) Forth from; out of.
   • a. 1631, John Donne, The Storme:

     Some forth their cabins peepe.

Adjective

forth

1. Misspelling of fourth.

Noun

forth

1. Misspelling of fourth.

Descendants

• Middle Low German: fort, vort
  • German Low German: foort
  • → Danish: fort
  • → Norwegian: fort
  • → Swedish: fort