#132. Earliness. -- N. {ant. 133 } earliness &c. adj.; morning &c. 125.
punctuality; promptitude &c. (activity) 682; haste &c. (velocity) 274; suddenness &c. (instantaneity) 113.
prematurity, precocity, precipitation, anticipation; a stitch in time.
V. be early &c. adj., be beforehand &c. adv.; keep time, take time by the forelock, anticipate, forestall; have the start, gain the start; steal a march upon; gain time, draw on futurity; bespeak, secure, engage, preengage[obs3].
accelerate; expedite &c. (quicken) 274; make haste &c. (hurry) 684.
Adj. early, prime, forward; prompt &c. (active) 682; summary.
premature, precipitate, precocious; prevenient[obs3], anticipatory; rath[obs3].
sudden &c. (instantaneous) 113; unexpected &c. 508; near, near at hand; immediate.
Adv. early, soon, anon, betimes, rath[obs3]; eft, eftsoons; ere long, before long, shortly;.
beforehand; prematurely &c. adj.; precipitately &c. (hastily) 684; too soon; before its time, before one's time; in anticipation; unexpectedly &c. 508.
suddenly &c. (instantaneously) 113; before one can say "Jack Robinson", at short notice, extempore; on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion [Bacon]; at once; on the spot, on the instant; at sight; offhand, out of hand; a' vue d'oeil[Fr]; straight, straightway, straightforth[obs3]; forthwith, incontinently, summarily, immediately, briefly, shortly, quickly, speedily, apace, before the ink is dry, almost immediately, presently at the first opportunity, in no long time, by and by, in a while, directly.
Phr. no sooner said than done, immediately, if not sooner; tout vient a temps pour qui sait attendre[Fr].