eve

¹

[ eev ]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) the evening or the day before a holiday, church festival, or any date or event:

   Christmas Eve; the eve of an execution.

2. the period preceding or leading up to any event, crisis, etc.:

   on the eve of the American Revolution.

3. the evening.

Eve

²

[ eev ]

noun

1. (in the Bible) the name of the first woman: wife of Adam and progenitor of the human race.
2. a female given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “life.”

eve

¹

/ iːv /

noun

1. 1. the evening or day before some special event or festival
   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      New Year's Eve

2. the period immediately before an event

   on the eve of civil war

3. an archaic word for evening

Eve

²

/ iːv /

noun

1. Old Testament the first woman; mother of the human race, fashioned by God from the rib of Adam (Genesis 2:18-25)

Eve

1. In the Book of Genesis , the first woman. ( See Adam and Eve and Creation .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of eve¹

1200–50; Middle English; variant of even ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of eve¹

C13: variant of even ²

Idioms and Phrases

see on the eve of .

Example Sentences

He is forced to pursue a mysterious villain after being blackmailed into allowing a potentially dangerous package on board a Christmas Eve flight.

From BBC

Melissa Eve Ajosmaki, 24, who is originally from Finland but studies in Gothenburg, says she felt more worried when the war broke out in Ukraine.

From BBC

The father of young woman shot dead on Christmas Eve said the early release of her killer's accomplice due to prison overcrowding "makes a mockery" of justice.

From BBC

The military veteran’s qualifications include regularly co-hosting Fox’s annual New Year’s Eve countdown.

From Los Angeles Times

A man who killed his housemate in Cardiff on Christmas Eve had previously told him he'd thought about murdering him, a court has heard.

From BBC

Related Words

• brink
• night
• verge