Dictionary

vaward en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈvɑwɚd/ (General-American)
• /ˈvɔːwəd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈvɔwɚd/ (General-American)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English vawarde, late form of vantwarde, aphetism of Anglo-Norman avantwarde, a variant of Old French avant-guarde. Doublet of avant-garde and vanguard.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) On or towards the front; vanward.

vaward en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈvɑwɚd/ (General-American)
• /ˈvɔːwəd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈvɔwɚd/ (General-American)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English vawarde, late form of vantwarde, aphetism of Anglo-Norman avantwarde, a variant of Old French avant-guarde. Doublet of avant-garde and vanguard.

Meanings

1. The vanguard.
   • Then they were marched off to the railway station with the band in the vaward playing ‘Have you ever caught your ballocks in a rat trap?’ 1988, Anthony Burgess, Any Old Iron:
   • THenne kyng Arthur made redy his hoost in x batails and Nero was redy in the felde afore the castel Tarabil with a grete hoost / & he had x batails with many mo peple than Arthur had / Thenne Nero had the vaward with the moost party of his peple / & merlyn cam to kyng lot of the yle of Orkeney 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book II:

Forms