yestertide

English

Etymology

From yester- +‎ tide (“time, season, period”).

Noun

yestertide (uncountable)

1. A time period previous to the present; the past.

Synonyms

• foretime, yestertime; see also Thesaurus:the past

Adverb

yestertide (not comparable)

1. In times past, at a prior time; in the past.
   • 1905, Dr. Frederick H. Williams, “Fair Cooling Spray, O Lovely Sea!”, in The Connecticut Magazine, volume 9, number 3, page frontispiece:

     Fair cooling spray, oh, lovely sea! / How maiden coy thy changing mood; / To-night thou'rt sweet with smiles for me, / Scarce yestertide I vainly wooed / Thy fretful features for a smile, / Naught could for me one thought beguile.

   • 1889, Alfred Austin, The Human Tragedy:

     And loudly to her lovers called, to leap To arms for her sore sake, that yestertide In her delight delighted, and drank deep Of her lascivious wine-cups, […]

Synonyms

• beforehand, yestertime; see also Thesaurus:formerly