beforemath

English

Etymology

From before +‎ math (“a mowing”), by analogy with aftermath.

Noun

beforemath (plural beforemaths)

1. What precedes or produces a particular outcome; events that have yet to occur, or are in the process of occurring.
   • 1984, David Langford, The Leaky Establishment, Cosmos Books, published 2003, →ISBN, page 46:

     In the dismal beforemath of Tuesday morning's NPIWP meeting — the concentrated essence of dentists' waiting rooms, with a tinge of what condemned men might have felt before the drop — Tappen was brooding on deadlines.

Synonyms

• foremath

Related terms

• aftermath