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

According to Gallup, on the eve of the election in 1996, just 39 percent said they were satisfied with how things were going in the country, but Bill Clinton won reelection in a rout.

From Salon

On the eve of the summit, the BBC's US partner CBS reported that an anonymous source confirmed the two leaders had met.

From BBC

It's the biggest-selling book on the shortlist in the UK, and has also outsold the past three Booker winners combined, up to the eve of their success.

From BBC

For many, it was especially shocking coming on the eve of commemorations marking Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogroms against German Jews.

From BBC

The outcry was exacerbated by the attacks occurring on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht - Nazi pogroms against German Jews that took place in 1938.

From BBC

Related Words

• brink
• night
• verge