eveeve /iːv/ noun 
on the eve of the election We’re arriving on Christmas Eve. a New Year’s Eve party2[countable] literary evening: one summer’s eve
WORD ORIGINeve
Origin:
1100-1200 even ‘evening’ (11-21 centuries), from Old English æfen; ➔ EVENINGEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Christmas Eve
- New Year's Eve
- Back in 1988 he had the nerve to raise interest rates on the eve of the Republican convention.
- Found hanging.Another student dies on the eve of term.
- He wrings his hands like a fly and clinches his eves at the awful sound of that squeaking.
- However, on the eve of the referendum, the majority of priests preached against abortion.
- Neighbours were evacuated as smoke billowed from the semi-detached bungalow in Didcot, Oxon, late on Christmas eve.
- Now, on the eve of the formation of the congress, is a good time to clear up any misapprehensions.
Longman Language Activatorbefore you do something or before something happens
before you do something or before an event happens: · The family left France just before the war.· Think carefully before you give your final answer.· Before I had a chance to say anything, David walked away.before doing something: · Before joining IBM, Frank worked for Toshiba.· You should check the oil before beginning a long car journey.before that: · We spent two years in Thailand, and before that we lived in China.· I was a waiter for six months, and before that I worked in a supermarket.a week/two days/five years etc before: · I was born just eleven months before my brother.
also ahead of time American if you do something beforehand or ahead of time , you do it before you do something else, especially to make the situation easier: · Let me know ahead of time if you need a ride to the airport.· We had agreed beforehand not to tell anyone else about our plans.
before you do something else: · Add the onions and garlic first, then the mushrooms.· "Shall we go for some lunch?" "Yeah, great, let me just make a quick call first."
if you do something in advance , you do it before another event happens, especially so that you are prepared: · Pasta salad is a dish that you can easily prepare in advance.· I wish you'd told me in advance that you were going to be late.in advance of: · Your passport application should be submitted well in advance of your departure.three days/six months/a year etc in advance: · Preparations for the president's visit had been made several months in advance.
: pre-war/pre-Christmas/pre-Roman etc before the war, Christmas etc: · Life in pre-war Britain was simpler and less fast-paced.· As usual, the government seems to have forgotten most of its pre-election promises.
formal before, especially before a particular event or date: · I spoke with Sarah prior to the meeting.prior to doing something: · The doctor should have told you about the possible side effects prior to starting you on the medication.
the time before an important event: · On the eve of the election, some of the candidates were showing signs of strain.· No-one claimed responsibility for the bombing, which occurred on the eve of the Prime Minister's visit.· Another round of TV debates will be held in the run-up to the referendum.
given or done before the time that a particular event takes place or before the time that something is expected to happen: · Aid workers say the village had no advance warning of the floods.· Advance bookings for the concert start today.· Airport visas may be obtained if forty-eight hours advance notice has been provided.
formal taking place before something else happens or before someone is allowed to do something: · The airline says that some flights may be cancelled without prior warning.· The phone company is required to give you prior notice before disconnecting your service.· The tenant must get the prior consent of the landlord before doing any redecorating in the flat.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY We’re arriving on Christmas Eve. a New Year’s Eve partyCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
1[countable usually singular] the night or day before an important dayeve of We’re arriving on Christmas Eve. a New Year’s Eve party· Considered a must-win state, with its vital 21 electoral votes, it was too close to call on election eve.· About the only occasion on which a question was put to Kinnock about foreign policy was on the election eve Spitting Image.
on the eve of the election We’re arriving on Christmas Eve. a New Year’s Eve party2[countable] literary evening: one summer’s eve