English

Alternative forms

• forehanded

Adjective

fore-handed ‎(comparative more fore-handed, superlative most fore-handed)

1. (US) Looking to the future; displaying foresight; prudent.
   • 1964, James Lane Allen, page 105:

     His unconscious requirement waas that this also must be reasonable; if it were not, he would accept the portions that were reasonable and reject the others as now too childish for his fore-handed American brain.

   • 1862, The American Phrenological Journal and Life Illustrated, Volumes 35-36, page 51:

     The “fore-handed mechanic,” who has the decision to resist the purchase of any coveted article until he has the money to pay for it, finds no trouble, when business reverses come upon a community, in deciding to take in sail while the storm is yet in the distance.

   • 1856, Western Border Life, Or, What Fanny Hunter Saw and Heard in Kanzas [sic] and Missouri, page 174:

     “Fore-handed !' Miss Nanny, fore-handed!” said Madam Gamby, plying her shears, which snapped off the cloth very much as their owner did her words. "I never was one of your after-dinner folks. This kind of work has got to be all done up before plantin' time."

2. (obsolete, US) Wealthy.
   • 2012, John Habberton, All He Knew A Story, ISBN 3847201646:

     "You mean to say that because I work hard and get a little fore-handed I ought to take a lot of shiftless folks and teach them to be lazy and dependent on me?"

   • 1837, Edgar Allan Poe, The Ladies' Companion - Volume 7, page 18:

     The young man approaching us, with long temple-locks, cane and other appurtenances of dandyism, is the son of a plain, honest citizen who, as our country friends say, is fore-handed, or well to do in the world

   • 1825, Jane Taylor, Essays in rhyme, on morals and manners, page 2:

     Till, long proceeding on the saving plan, He found himself a warm, fore-handed man

3. (not comparable) Executed with a forehand stroke.
   • 1987, Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Patents, Volume 1085, Issue 1:

     A training device for tactually indicating to a player whether the player's hand has properly gripped the handle of a racket for forehanded play and for backhanded play

   • 1898, Eton College Chronicle, page 991:

     Barry's fore-handed strokes were very effective, while Moon's back-handers were at times brilliant.

   • 1997, Hans Georg K. Gebel, ‎Zeidan Abdel-Kafi Kafafi, & ‎Gary Orin Rollefson, The Prehistory of Jordan: Perspectives from 1997, Volume 2, page 277:

     However, both fore-handed and back-handed cutting motions were effective for reaping dry wheat, as the stalks partly broke and partly were cut by the blades.

4. (obsolete) Paid or executed in advance.
   • 1869, Great Britain Parliament House of Commons, Reports from Committees, page 269:

     Concurrence in the conclusion that if the law of hypothec be repealed the landlords will resort to fore-handed rents, as a necessary security

   • 1932, Great Britain Parliament House of Commons, Parliamentary Debates: Official Report - Volume 267, page iv:

     People are being sued for rent, and, while legally they may be in arrear, in actual fact they are not in arrear, because they are being sued for fore-handed rent, sometimes as much as a quarter in advance.

   • 1932, Mabel Claire, Macy's Cook Book for the Busy Woman: Including a Complete Guide to Kitchen Management, page 194:

     The fore-handed dinner is a convenient method of cooking a dinner before it is needed, so that less time must be spent in the kitchen at the dinner hour.

5. (obsolete) Pertaining to the forequarters of a horse.
   • 1816, Oliver Goldsmith, A history of the earth, and animated nature - Volume 3, page 319:

     To this tribe we may refer a little fore-handed animal, of the island of Ceylon, which M. Buffon calls the Lori ; very remarkable for the singularity of its figure.

   • 1883 November 14, “The Coach Horse”, in National Live Stock Journal, volume 14, page 193:

     No matter how lacking he may be in other portions of his contour, this fore-handed formation and action are absolute prerequisites.

   • 1891 July, S.T.H., “An Accomplished Roadite”, in Wallace's Monthly, volume 17:

     For instance, many fast horses are heavier fore-handed than balanced action requires.

Adverb

fore-handed ‎(comparative more fore-handed, superlative most fore-handed)

1. With a forehand stroke.
   • 1806, Strickland Freemen, The Art of Horsemanship: Altered and Abbreviated, page 38:

     This blow should be given fore-handed, as soon as the colt has quitted the wall.

   • 1890, John Moyer Heathcote, ‎Edward Oliver Pleydell-Bouverie, ‎& Arthur Campbell Ainger, Tennis, page 224:

     It should be delivered back-handed from the right and fore-handed from the left court.

   • 1819, Sir Walter Scott, The Bride of Lammermoor:

     I'll tell you, madam, to have your hunting-sword both right sharp and double-edged, that you may strike either fore-handed or back-handed, as you see reason, for a hurt with a buck's horn is a perilous