Definition of "forward"

forward¹

/ˈfɔː.wəd/

adjective
comparative more forward, superlative most forward
1. Situated toward or at the front of something.
  1. (of troops, guns etc.) Situated toward or near the enemy lines.
2. Acting in or pertaining to the direction in which someone or something is facing.
3. Acting in or pertaining to the direction of travel or movement.
4. (figuratively) Moving in the desired direction of progress.
5. Having the usual order or sequence.
6. (finance, commerce) Expected or scheduled to take place in the future.
7. Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season; precocious.
  Quotations
  The most forward bud / Is eaten by the canker ere it blow.
  c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene i]
8. Without customary restraint or modesty; bold, cheeky, pert, presumptuous or pushy.
  Quotations
  […] the lady conceived the same desires with himself, and was on her side contriving how to give the captain proper encouragement, without appearing too forward; for she was a strict observer of all rules of decorum.
  1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
  He said that if one offered himself to be a soldier under him, who was forward to tell what he could or would do, if he could only get sight of the enemy, he had but little confidence in him.
  1859, Henry David Thoreau, A Plea for Captain John Brown‎
  "Would you think it forward of me to kiss you?" asked Tristran.
  1999:, Neil Gaiman, Stardust, pg. 44 (2001 Perennial paperback edition)
9. (obsolete) Ready; prompt; ardently inclined; in a bad sense, eager or hasty.
  Quotations
  Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Galatians 2:10
  Nor do we find him forward to be sounded.
  c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene i]
adverb
comparative further forward, superlative furthest forward
1. At, near or towards the front of something.
  Quotations
  A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire. In fact, that arm-chair had been an extravagance of Mrs. Bunting. She had wanted her husband to be comfortable after the day's work was done, and she had paid thirty-seven shillings for the chair.
  1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], page 0016
  1. (nautical) At, near, or towards the bow of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel).
    Quotations
    Most of the men are sleeping forward, for it is near midnight, but a stout swarthy Arab, Mahomed by name, stands at the tiller, lazily steering by the stars.
    1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887
2. In the direction in which someone or something is facing.
3. In the desired or usual direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively; onwards.
4. So that front and back are in the usual orientation.
5. In the usual order or sequence.
6. Into the future.
  Quotations
  The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.
  1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd.
7. To an earlier point in time. See also bring forward.
verb
third-person singular simple present forwards, present participle forwarding, simple past and past participle forwarded
1. (transitive) To advance, promote.
  Quotations
  Mary had a suspicion that this plan had been arranged beforehand, for she knew how the lewd old woman loved to forward love affairs […].
  1941, W Somerset Maugham, Up at the Villa, Vintage, published 2004, page 26
2. (transitive) To send (a letter, email etc.) on to a third party.
  Quotations
  One of the most important aspects of the social service operation was the maintaining of a telephone "hot line," supposedly available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week […] This unbelievable achievement was accomplished with the expedient of "call forwarding" which made it possible for all the calls coming in to the CHAT office to be sent by means of technical magic to any other telephone in the area.
  1981 April 4, Steve Owens, “We Are God's Children Too”, in Gay Community News, page 9
3. (transitive, bookbinding) To assemble (a book) by sewing sections, attaching cover boards, and so on.
noun
plural forwards
1. (rugby) One of the eight players (comprising two props, one hooker, two locks, two flankers and one number eight, collectively known as the pack) whose primary task is to gain and maintain possession of the ball (compare back).
2. (soccer) A player on a team in football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.
3. (ice hockey) An umbrella term for a centre or winger in ice hockey.
4. (basketball) The small forward or power forward position; two frontcourt positions that are taller than guards but shorter than centers.
5. (nautical) The front part of a vessel.
6. (Internet) An e-mail message that is forwarded to another recipient or recipients; an electronic chain letter.
  Quotations
  When you receive your new pen-pal's email address, do not automatically put it in your address book and use the email Addy to send 'forwards' to. Not every pen pal likes 'forwards', especially jokes and meaningless emails.
  2004, Tamara Stevens, What Is Snail Mail?: The Lost Art of Letterwriting, page 27
  This method attaches the files to a new email, which is fine if you want to create a new email. The only problem with this is that it doesn't work if you'd rather send forwards or replies.
  2009, Joli Ballew, Windows 7 for the Over 50s in Simple Steps
7. (finance) A direct agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specific point in the future; distinguished from a futures contract in that the latter is standardized and traded on an exchange.
8. Misspelling of foreword (“preface or introduction”)..

forward²

/ˈfɔː.wəd/

noun
plural forwards
1. (dialectal or obsolete) Agreement; covenant.