Forenoon
/ˈfɔːrˌnuːn/noun
The period of time between sunrise and noon; the morning.
Did you know?Forenoon is an old English compound built from “fore” + “noon,” and “noon” originally meant the ninth hour in medieval Christian timekeeping, not 12:00 exactly.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
fore
“before, in front of”
Old English
OE
non
“the ninth hour of the day; later, midday”
Middle English
ME
forenon
“the time before noon”
Modern English
English
forenoon
“the morning; the part of the day before noon”