Erst

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Erst \Erst\ ([~e]rst), adv. [Orig. superlative of ere; AS.
     [=ae]rest. See {Ere}.] [Archaic]
     1. First. --Chaucer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Previously; before; formerly; heretofore. --Chaucer.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              Tityrus, with whose style he had erst disclaimed all
              ambition to match his pastoral pipe.  --A. W. Ward.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {At erst}, at first; at the beginning.
  
     {Now at erst}, at this present time. --Chaucer.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  erst
       adv : at a previous time; "once he loved her"; "her erstwhile
             writing" [syn: {once}, {formerly}, {at one time}, {erstwhile}]