I. ˈār, ˈer adverb
Etymology: Middle English er, ar, from Old English ǣr, adverb (historically compar. but used as positive and compar.), preposition & conjunction; akin to Old High German ēr earlier, Old Norse ār early, Gothic air early, airis earlier, Greek ēri early, Avestan ayarə day; basic meaning: day, morning
1. chiefly Scotland : early
2. chiefly Scotland : soon
II. (ˈ)e](ə)r, (ˈ)a(a)], ]ə preposition
Etymology: Middle English er, ar, from Old English ǣr
: before II 1a
virtues … contrived ere the beginning of the world — Norman Douglas
III. conjunction
Etymology: Middle English er, ar, from Old English ǣr
: before III
supersedes it ere the twentieth century ends — C.H.Moehlman
I will be thrown into Etna … ere I will leave her — Shakespeare
IV.
variant of ear II
V.
archaic
variant of ever
VI. ˈa(a)](ə)r, ˈe], ]ə
dialect
variant of there