tomorrowadv.n.
/tᵿˈmɒrəʊ/, U.S. /təˈmɑroʊ/, /təˈmɔroʊ/ A. adv.† 3. Scottish. On the day after the one mentioned; on the following day. Obsolete.
1.
a. On the day after today; on the morrow.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > tomorrow > [adverb]
tomorneOE
tomorrowc1275
tomorrow dayc1384
mañana1938
tomoz1995
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 9722 (MED) Ah to-mærȝe wæne hit dæi buð, duȝeðe scal arisen & oppenien ure castel-ȝæten.
a1300 Passion our Lord l. 140 in R. Morris Old Eng. Misc. (1872) 41 Er hit beo day to morewe al oþer hit schal go.
c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 3513 To-morȝe on þe spryng of þe day..to þe pauyllouns take þe way.
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xx. 16 To day leeneth a man, and to moru [a1425 L.V. to morewe] he asketh it bi ple.
c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1544 Thanne helpe me lord tomorwe in my bataille.
c1426 J. Audelay Poems (1931) 23 To-morw or hit be day.
1484 W. Caxton tr. Subtyl Historyes & Fables Esope v. viii. f. lxxxiiiv To morowe on the mornyng..sende me a dyssh ful of mylk.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 625/2 Make mery, syrs, we shall go hence to morowe.
1581 B. Calthorpe in A. H. Smith et al. Papers N. Bacon of Stiffkey (1983) II. 189 It so happen that to moroughe by appointement I must be at Ludham with the Bishop.
a1628 J. Preston New Covenant (1634) 435 This doing of it now, and now, and to morrow, and to morrow, these little distances deceive us, and delude us.
1688 J. Covel Let. 15 Dec. in I. Newton Corr. (1961) III. 1 Our best course to reduce them would be to convene them in some publick place of your College tomorrow.
1746 H. Walpole Let. 11 Aug. (1941) IX. 45 Lord Hobart and Lord Fitzwilliam are both to be earls tomorrow, the former of Buckingham, the latter by his already title.
1797 R. Southey Botany Bay Eclogues in Poems 93 Thou wilt go without grog, Sam to-morrow at dinner.
1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) vi. 46 If you, and I, and his sister were to die to-morrow he would say ‘Good Gad!’ and eat his dinner just as well as usual.
1877 F. Burnaby On Horseback through Asia Minor II. xv. 141 ‘Not to-day, to-morrow’: this is the stereotyped answer which a Turk has always at the tip of his tongue.
1939 V. Sackville-West Let. 1 Sept. in Lett. to V. Woolf (1984) 359 I had meant to ring you up and ask if Nigel and I might come to luncheon tomorrow.
1984 ’Morrissey’ Still Ill in Smiths: Compl. Chord Songbk. (2005) 135 And if you must go to work tomorrow, Well if I were you I wouldn't bother.
2006 R. Chandrasekaran Imperial Life in Emerald City (2007) vi. 132 You'll be back tomorrow, right?
b. As the complement of a preposition, as from, till, until, etc.Such uses are normally analysed (as here) as showing the adverb, but could alternatively be analysed as showing the noun; see sense B. 1.
ΚΠ
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 986 His liif nel nouȝt for langour last til to-morwe.
1485 W. Caxton tr. Thystorye & Lyf Charles the Grete sig. fvij/2 It is better to abyde tyl to morowe.
a1530 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfeccyon (1531) iii. f. lxxxxviiiv Knowest thou whether he shall lyue vnto to morowe.
1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 40v They flatter themselues with a faynting farewell, deferring euer vntill to morrow.
1602 T. S. Touch-stone of Prayer v. ii. sig. G Let not the sunne go downe on thy wrath: for what knowest thou..whether thou shalt liue till to morrow.
1676 News from Sea 7 Let us not put off Amendment of Life (as too many do) until to morrow.
1740 S. Richardson Pamela I. xxxi. 197 They..tipt me into the Dam, Crying, Lie there, Parson, till to-morrow.
1775 Limerick Chron. 23 Nov. The committee on the militia bill was deferred, after a short conversation, 'till tomorrow.
1855 A. Trollope Warden xvii. 280 You should know that, from to-morrow, I shall cease to be the warden of the hospital.
1888 E. S. Holt King's Daughters vi. 42 ‘Has Bessy been preaching at the Market Cross?’ asked Rose... ‘That's not while to-morrow,’ said Mrs. Clere.
1895 N.Z. Parl. Deb. 89 479/2 I should like to ask the Premier whether he intends to issue this Proclamation before to-morrow.
1918 Times 14 June 6/6 Closing after to-morrow for usual vacation.
1948 G. Hopkins tr. F. Mauriac Unknown Sea 165 Then, it's agreed, isn't it, that your wife shall come in and look after Monsieur Julien, starting from tomorrow?
2005 J. M. Coetzee Slow Man xv. 102 I won't be back until tomorrow or even the next day.
c. With a specified period of time: as reckoned from tomorrow.
(a) With reference to a future event. Sometimes (esp. in early use) preceding the period of time, as tomorrow week, tomorrow fortnight, etc. (now chiefly British), later chiefly following it, as a week tomorrow, three weeks tomorrow, a year tomorrow, etc.In the United States, when referring to a date a specified amount of time in the future a week from tomorrow, two months from tomorrow, etc., is typically used.
ΚΠ
?1642 Health to all Vintners (single sheet) Provided alwaies, that the date of our Letters of permission and charge, shall continue one whole yeare to morrow, and no longer.
1648 Perfect Weekly Acct. 8 Nov. 273 His Funeral is to be celebrated to morrow sennight.
a1690 J. Rushworth Hist. Coll.: Third Pt. (1692) I. 30 The Particular Fast for both Houses..might be on Tuesday come Sevennight; and for the Publick Fast..to be to morrow Month.
1774 South Briton ii. 23 Issac. I will attend your command, when you please den. Mow. To-morrow, to-morrow week, to-morrow month, when you will.
1805 Morning Chron. 22 Feb. That a fresh Order be made for that House to discuss the merits of the case to-morrow six weeks.
1836 C. Dickens Let. ?4 Sept. (1965) I. 173 Harley..is..delighted with the farce... They want to open, if they possibly can, tomorrow fortnight.
1885 ‘The Duchess’ O Tender Dolores xviii. 188 Let us name our wedding-day... To-morrow month, then?
1930 Financial Times 10 July 1/7 Stock Exchange dealings are now for the Account which finishes a fortnight to-morrow.
1961 Times 7 Apr. 20/4 His one match..is likely to be for Worcestershire against the Australians, which begins three weeks tomorrow.
2017 Racing Post (Nexis) 9 July 63 The deadline for making a nomination for the Select Stakes is 11am on Friday, with a press panel convening in London tomorrow week to choose the field.
(b) With reference to a past event or an ongoing situation. With preceding word and frequently with since, referring to a length of time that has elapsed from a specified event (e.g. it’s a year tomorrow since…), or with ago, referring to a date a specified amount of time in the past (e.g. it happened a year ago tomorrow).
ΚΠ
1753 London Mag. App. 598/1 It will be a full month to-morrow since it was first moved for.
1796 Trial Lockyer & Bream 25 Q. Then you left Bristol on a Friday? A. Yes. Q. A fortnight ago to-morrow?
1840 Belfast News Let. 28 July It will be just two months to-morrow since I last had the pleasure of beholding you.
1883 St. Louis (Missouri) Globe-Democrat 1 June 5/1 It will be one year to-morrow since the star route trials began.
1910 Western Intercollegiate Mag. Nov. 28 It is just ten years ago tomorrow that Hillside romped all over us in the final game of the year.
1914 Smart Set Dec. 247/2 This makes the fifteenth year I've been on this run; fifteen years tomorrow.
1970 Times 21 Aug. 11 The team..takes with it the memory that exactly five years ago tomorrow a dropped relay baton cost Britain a place in the inaugural final.
2010 Hull Daily Mail (Nexis) 25 Sept. 19 Hi mam, it's six years tomorrow since you passed away, but it still feels like it was only yesterday.
2. More generally: in the future, esp. the near future; soon, before long.Frequently contrasted with today to indicate the tendency of circumstances to change (see today adv., n., and adj. Phrases).
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > different time > [adverb] > imminently or in the near future
ratheeOE
rathelyeOE
soonc900
shortlya1050
newenc1175
newlya1225
nunonc1225
newenlyc1275
fast byc1300
tomorrowa1382
brieflyc1460
anonc1475
soonlyc1475
of newa1500
suddenlya1500
by and by1526
soon1545
imminently1548
short1556
erelong1577
eminently1646
bimeby1722
directly1851
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1969) Isa. xxii. 13 Ete we & drinke we: to morwe forsoþe we shul dien.
a1475 Sidrak & Bokkus (Lansd.) (1999) II. l. 10273 Today borne, tomorwe on bere.
c1475 Proverbs (Rawl. D.328) in Mod. Philol. (1940) 38 119 (MED) Ion, Ion, pyke a bone, to-morrow þu schall pyke none.
1575 G. Harte tr. I. Gentillet Declar. Needfulnesse Peace in Fraunce sig. G.ijv He that loseth this day, is commonly a winner to morowe.
1647 tr. J. Böhme Way to Christ 8 The flesh saying continually to the soule: stay a while, it is well enough, or it is time enough to morrow.
1651 Mercurius Elencticus No. 3. 17 'Tis merry when Jovial Maltmen meet; Who knows what haps to morrow?
1743 Child's New Play-thing (ed. 2) 51 Fly the Pleasure that will bite to-morrow.
1841 R. W. Emerson Circles in Ess. 1st Ser. (London ed.) 311 There is not a piece of science, but its flank may be turned to-morrow.
1882 Ballou's Monthly Mag. Aug. 155/2 Ideas and speculation that we scouted at yesterday, may tomorrow stand as confirmed facts.
1916 Amer. Rev. of Reviews Jan. 60/2 To-morrow Britain would have to fight for Egypt, because the nation that holds Syria will be master of Egypt, if there remains to it power to expand.
1957 Listener 15 Aug. 223/1 An accelerated movement towards independence: Ghana yesterday; Nigeria, French West Africa, the Cameroons, tomorrow.
2013 Sun (Nexis) 10 Sept. 2 Keep your eye on the prize. Connect what you're doing today, with where you want to be tomorrow.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > tomorrow > [adverb] > the day after the day mentioned
tomorrow1653
1653–7 J. Dunlop Acct. in J. S. Dobie Munim. Irvine (1891) II. 256 I was ther a night tomoro al day.
a1699 J. Kirkton Secret & True Hist. Church Scotl. (1817) 126 After he hade drunk liberally in the Advocate's house that same day, went to bed in health, but was taken up stark dead to-morrow morning.
1717 R. Wodrow Let. 8 Oct. in Corr. (1843) II. 344 A committee for peace was proposed to-morrow, who heard the ministers and Mr Anderson upon the heads of complaint.
B. n.
1. The day after today; the next day; the morrow. Also: the day following any day specified or referred to.For uses where tomorrow is the complement of a preposition see sense A. 1b and the note there.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > tomorrow > [noun]
mornOE
the morn dayOE
tomornOE
the morna1225
morrowc1300
tomorrowc1300
tomorrow dayc1384
morrow daya1393
c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1978) l. 11831 Nou to-morwe his þe dai.
c1454 R. Pecock Folewer to Donet 54 We trowen þat þis day schal be a reyny day for þat his morownyng was reed, or þat to morow schal be a fayre day for þat his euentide is reed.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Prov. xxvii. A Make not thy boost of tomorow.
1600 E. Fairfax tr. T. Tasso Godfrey of Bulloigne vi. v. 94 To morrowes sun shall spread his timely raies.
a1667 A. Cowley Several Disc. by Way of Ess., Verse & Prose 141 in Wks. (1668) Our Yesterdays To morrow now is gone.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 163. ¶11 A..Story..which I shall relate at length in my to-Morrow's Paper.
1758 B. Franklin Poor Richard's Almanack 10 One To-day is worth two To-morrows.
1832 Ld. Tennyson May Queen i, in Poems (new ed.) 90 Tomorrow 'ill be the happiest time of all the blythe Newyear.
1839 H. W. Longfellow Voices of Night 6 To act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day.
1917 ‘Taffrail’ Sub iii. 92 ‘You'll have to-morrow to sling your hammock and to get used to the ship, youngster,’ he went on.
1974 N. Freeling Dressing of Diamond 116 Tomorrow is a holiday.
2006 Independent 12 Aug. 19/1 A display of celestial fireworks is expected tonight and in the early hours of tomorrow.
2. More generally: the future, esp. the near future. Frequently in the possessive or preceded by of.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > [noun] > the near or forseeable future
tomorrow?c1425
paulo-post-future1848
foreseeable future1932
soon1940
?c1425 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Cambr. Ii.3.21) (1886) v. pr. vi. 133 Ther nys nothing establysshed in tyme þat may enbracen to-gidere al the space of his lyf, ffor certes yit ne hath it nat takyn the tyme of to morwe, and it hath lost the tyme of yisterday.
1528 T. Wyatt tr. Plutarch Quyete of Mynde sig. c.iij The worthy..suffreth nat their lyfe to be all one facyoned and weued togyder, with the thinges past & the thynges present, deuyding yesterdayes lif from that of to day, & that from that of to morow.
a1649 W. Drummond Poems (1656) 185 Cease dreames,..To modell forth the passions of to morrow.
1737 J. Thurston Poems Several Occasions (ed. 2) 51 Secure they quaff the bowl, and taste the food, Nor fear the sharpness of to-morrow's Blood.
1841 W. Sewell Introd. Dialogues Plato ix. 72 Rivers may run backward to their sources,..the poison of to-day become the food of to-morrow.
1867 Economist 27 Apr. 469/1 In discouraging exceptionally good work, they decree that to-day's standards of goodness shall be to-morrow's.
1914 Locomotive Engineers' Monthly Jrnl. Dec. 1084/1 Everybody lives in hope and expectation and looks for a brighter tomorrow.
1943 J. B. Priestley Daylight on Sat. ii. 5 He belonged to tomorrow's new ruling class.
1979 Guardian 30 Oct. 32/8 The Prime Minister..told the Wales TUC that British industry was not going to get tomorrow's jobs ‘unless we move into tomorrow's world’.
2010 New Yorker 25 Jan. 29/1 The world of tomorrow will be unimaginably better than the world of today.
Phrases
P1. never put off until tomorrow what you can do today and variants: used to discourage procrastination. Later also in never do today what you can put off until tomorrow and variants: used humorously to encourage procrastination.
ΚΠ
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Hengwrt) (2003) §825 The goodnesse þt thow maist do this day, do it..ne delaye it nat til tomorwe.
1616 T. Draxe Bibliotheca Scholastica 42/1 Deferre not vntill to morrow, if thou canst do it to day.
1633 J. Howell Let. 5 Sept. in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ (1650) II. ii. 29 The other would oft-times speak of himself, It shall never be said of me that I will defer till to morrow what I can do to day.
1730 J. Browne Lucubrations Sallmanazor Histrum 180 How happy would it have been..if they..had never put off till the morrow, what they might have with Honour and good Sense done on the present day.
1749 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 26 Dec. in Lett. to Son (1774) I. 533 No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.
1857 Spectator 12 Sept. 952/1 His own principle was never to do today what you can put off till tomorrow. (Laughter.)
1901 Jrnl. Switchmen's Union N. Amer. Nov. 643/2 Don't put off until tomorrow what should be done today.
1921 Pacific Coast Jrnl. Nursing Mar. 152/1 Procrastination, the mañana habit, where we never do today what can be put off until tomorrow.
1995 Times 7 June 19/6 My philosophy has always been never to put off until tomorrow what I can put off until the day after.
2014 Sun (Nexis) 8 Feb. 28 My top tip for mums at home is to not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
P2.
a. tomorrow is another (also a new) day: used following a disappointment, failure, bad experience, etc., to express hope that matters will improve; (also) used as an excuse for delay or procrastination.
ΚΠ
c1525 J. Rastell New Commodye Propertes of Women sig. Civ Well mother to morow is a new day.
1603 J. Florio tr. M. de Montaigne Ess. ii. iv. 211 A letter..beeing delivered him..at supper, he deferred the opening of it, pronouncing this by-word, To morrow is a new day.
1738 J. Swift Treat. Polite Conversat. 20 Nev. I'll send it you To-morrow. Miss. Well, well, To-Morrow's a new Day: But I suppose, you mean To-morrow come never.
1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well III. vii. 192 We will say no more of it at present..to-morrow is a new day.
1867 Dublin Univ. Mag. Jan. 7/2 Take your supper and your rest: to-morrow will be a new day.
1927 P. Green Field God i. 148 Go to it, you Mag and Lonie! To-morrow's another day, and you'll need all you can hold.
1936 M. Mitchell Gone with the Wind lxiii. 1037 I'll think of it all tomorrow, at Tara. I can stand it then. Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.
1980 B. Pym Few Green Leaves xiii. 107 He would probably have said nothing and so missed his opportunity. Still, tomorrow was another day.
2014 Northwest Suburbs (Illinois) Daily Herald 14 Apr. v. 1/5 Make sure they know everyone makes mistakes and tomorrow is a new day.
b. there's always tomorrow: used to express hope that matters will improve; (also) used to assure someone that there will be time for something tomorrow, or as an excuse for delay or procrastination. Cf. tomorrow is another (also a new) day at Phrases 2a.
ΚΠ
1905 Salesmanship Sept. 153 ‘There's always tomorrow’ is true, but you can't afford to wait for it.
1959 Times 30 Mar. 9/2 Don't lay in bed at night fussing about all those things left undone. ‘There's always tomorrow’ is a sound philosophy.
1972 D. Cook Albert's Memorial 44 Never buy on impulse. There's always tomorrow.
2016 Philadelphia Inquirer (Nexis) 18 Jan. (Educ. section) a1 No matter how bad today is, there's always tomorrow.
P3. tomorrow may never come: used as a warning against procrastination, or as an exhortation to make the most of the present. Also in tomorrow never comes. Cf. tomorrow come never at Phrases 4.
ΚΠ
1654 T. Wodenote Eremicus Theologus sig. D8v To morrow may never come, either to him, or thee.
1670 J. Oxenbridge Quickening Word 6 The heart deceives when it delayes, and pretends to morrow; to morrow never comes.
1701 E. Norton Serm. preach'd before Lord Mayor & Aldermen 3 Boast not thy self of to morrow, because to Morrow may never come.
1791 Vale of Felicity II. liv. 181 The saying is, to-morrow never comes.
1812 G. Daniel Sophia's Let. 15 Ah! who shall say ‘To-day's to-morrow?’ When p'raps to-morrow never comes.
1891 Union Pacific Employes' Mag. July 189/2 I would write to-morrow, but I find to-morrow never comes.
1913 Advertising & Selling Dec. 44 Tomorrow never comes, friends, so you had better make use of today.
1988 L. Norman Feet First xi. 250 We all know people who are going to start dieting tomorrow... Tomorrow never comes.
2002 Courier Mail (Queensland) (Nexis) 10 Sept. 12 The message to all the living is that life is so short, live and cherish every single moment... Tomorrow may never come.
P4. tomorrow come never: (on) a day that will never come; never. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] > never
neverOE
ne'erc1275
late?a1439
naya1547
Latter Lammas1559
when the devil is blind1645
on (at) the Greek Calendsa1649
Queen Dick1652
tomorrow come never1660
nowhena1767
on Tib's Eve1785
1660 S. Fisher Rusticus ad Academicos iii. i. 2 But ad Graecas Calendas, to morrow come never.
1725 N. Bailey tr. Erasmus All Familiar Colloquies 34 He shall have it in a very little Time... When? To morrow come never? [L. ad Calendas Græcas].
1770 G. Colman Man & Wife iii. 46 Marc. Very soon, my dear! to-day, or to-morrow, perhaps. Sally. To-morrow come-never, I believe.
1825 J. T. Brockett Gloss. North Country Words at Nivver To-morrow come nivver—when two Sundays meet together.
1868 Ladies' Treasury 1 July ‘I'll wait awhile, till ye get to like me better.’ ‘An' that'll be “to-morrow come never”,’ muttered Sarah.
1953 M. Traynor Eng. Dial. Donegal 196/1 To-morrow come never, never.
P5. as if there were no tomorrow, like there's no tomorrow, and variants: with no regard for the future, recklessly; immoderately, to excess.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > carelessness > incautiousness > off one's guard [phrase] > rashly or recklessly
at all adventure (also adventures)1485
in flagrant blood1614
over shoes, over boots1653
neck or nothing1814
as if there were no tomorrow1847
(like a) bull at a (five-barred) gate1957
1847 People's Jrnl. 20 Mar. 164/2 All flying onward through the measure [sc. the Polka] as if there were no ‘to-morrow’.
1862 G. J. Whyte-Melville Queen's Maries II. xxii. 10 Why should you thus risk your life as if there was no to-morrow?
1958 Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Mass.) 18 Mar. 6/4 ‘I've been eating like there was no tomorrow,’ she giggled. ‘I put away three big meals a day.’
1980 Guardian Weekly 3 Feb. 1/3 Oil supplies that Americans at home continue to consume as though there were no tomorrow.
2009 Private Eye 3 Apr. 9/2 One notable advertiser—the UK government—is still spending like there's no tomorrow.
Compounds
C1. attributive. Designating a time of day occurring on the day after today, as tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening, tomorrow night, etc.; frequently in adverbial constructions.
ΚΠ
c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1978) l. 8849 Are to morewe heue.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 509/1 I shall decree it or it be to morowe noone.
1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost iii. i. 156 I will come to your worship to morrow morning . View more context for this quotation
1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. v. 521 I will by to morrow dinner time Send him to answere thee. View more context for this quotation
1625 W. Lisle tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Noe in tr. Part of Du Bartas Ded. 5 See lad, quoth he, the house and garth well drest To morrow morn.
1681 T. Otway Souldiers Fortune iii. i. 39 He shall be Crows meat by to morrow night.
1736 W. Popple Double Deceit iii. iii. 46 He hopes to be in Town, at latest, by To-morrow Noon.
1782 F. Burney Cecilia IV. viii. vii. 290 To-morrow morning I shall but call to see how she is.
1836 W. F. Cumming Jrnl. 21 Nov. in Notes Wanderer (1839) I. ii. 237 We propose starting to-morrow forenoon.
1853 E. E. Stuart Let. 7 Apr. in R. Stuart et al. Stuart Lett. (1961) I. 510 Misses Williams & Clarke leave for N.York to Morrow evening.
1880 M. E. Braddon Just as I Am I. iii. 35 To-morrow morning he will be whining his recantation.
1920 Cosmopolitan July 140/2 To-morrow afternoon I've got an engagement, and so have you.
1970 Times 14 Jan. 23/2 Ministry officials are expecting the main rush around tomorrow lunchtime.
2007 T. Baxendale Wishing Well (2008) 43 By my reckoning, this particular chicken will be hatched by tomorrow teatime.
C2.
tomorrow day n. now rare (regional in later use) the day after today, tomorrow; frequently in adverbial use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > tomorrow > [noun]
mornOE
the morn dayOE
tomornOE
the morna1225
morrowc1300
tomorrowc1300
tomorrow dayc1384
morrow daya1393
the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > tomorrow > [adverb]
tomorneOE
tomorrowc1275
tomorrow dayc1384
mañana1938
tomoz1995
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Deeds xxiii. 20 That to morwe day [L. crastina die] thou bringe forth Poul into the counceil.
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 48 He commaunded..that..his beste horse and armoure..be withoute the cite or to-morow day.
1539 Bible (Great) Matt. vi. 34 Care not then for the morow, for to morowe day [Gk. αὔριον] shall care for it selfe.
1710 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 19 Oct. (1948) I. 67 Well, for that I won't answer your letter till tomorrow day, and so and so: I'll go write something else, and it won't be much; for 'tis late.
1896 G. F. Northall Warwickshire Word-bk. 247 Now used to children only, as ‘You shall go a ta-ta with aunty to-morrow-day’.
1901 C. Hare Dinah Kellow 36 I'll be a good maid, an bide to hoam to-morrow day, an help 'ee wi' the washin'.
1930 D. H. Lawrence Nettles 9 If it's good today, and to-morrow-day as well then when Sunday comes, it shall go tattah with its Auntie.
Derivatives
toˈmorrower n. rare a person who puts matters off till tomorrow; a procrastinator.In quot. 2016 a conscious borrowing of Coleridge's description of De Quincey in quot. 1810.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > a suitable time or opportunity > untimeliness > delay or postponement > [noun] > one who delays
tarrier1382
delayer1509
postponer1533
prolonger1548
proroguer1551
deferrer1552
waiter upon God1592
procrastinator1607
temporizer1609
protracter1611
protractor1611
retarder1644
cunctator1654
adjourner1738
postponator1775
putter-off1803
tomorrower1810
offput1856
shelver1881
staller1937
1810 S. T. Coleridge Let. c14 Apr. (2000) III. 804 He [sc. Thomas De Quincey] is as great a To-morrower to the full as your poor Husband.
1880 G. Meredith Tragic Comedians II. vi. 96 The Postponer, The Deferrer, or, as we might say, The Tomorrower.
2016 F. Wilson Guilty Thing xi. 219 The great tomorrower married Margaret Simpson in Grasmere church on 15 February 1817.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > a suitable time or opportunity > untimeliness > delay or postponement > [adjective]
tarryingc1386
delayous1469
oversettingc1485
dilator1503
tarrysome1513
lingeringa1547
deferringc1565
delaying1576
dilatory1581
driving1585
protractive1596
tarrowinga1598
delayful1600
protracting1600
cunctative1617
suspensivea1623
remorala1625
Penelopeana1627
demurrant1633
remorating1638
retarding1654
tardative1666
temporizing1801
procrastinative1824
tomorrowing1824
procrastinatory1839
postponing1852
cunctatory1862
cunctatious1864
traa dy liooar1878
suspensory1884
off-putting1894
1824 J. Macculloch Highlands & W. Isles IV. 300 The ‘Cras hoc fiet’ of this to-morrowing country.
toˈmorrowness n. (a) the distinctive quality of being tomorrow; (b) the quality of belonging to tomorrow; futuristic quality or character.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > [noun] > state or condition of being future
futurity1637
futurition1666
futureness1829
tomorrowness1897
1897 Bookman Nov. 235 If to-morrow..in its essential to-morrowness, has no objective existence.
1953 C. A. Campbell in Philos. Q. 3 129 The ‘to-morrowness of Sunday’ entails the ‘Saturdayness of to-day’.
1964 Pop. Mech. Aug. 70/1 My reflexes became more and more attuned to the ‘tomorrowness’ of the control systems.
1992 Atlanta Jrnl. & Constit. (Nexis) 26 Sept. l33 Chef Siu-Kei Lei aims to present the trendiest news of Hong Kong tomorrow-ness.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, January 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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