Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

take time by the forelock

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.79 in modern English

Syllables: take -time by the -fore-lock
IPA

44

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

4

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To seize an opportunity quickly before it is no longer available.

Example Sentences

"Tell her the ioyous time wil not be staid, / Unlesse she doe him by the forelock take;"
"[…] I knew a Parson's Wife that seldom went to Church, but took Time by the Forelock, and while the Husband (good Man) was taking Care of his Flock, the good Woman at Home was at her Occupation with her Gallant, a rich young Farmer."
"Miss Walters, dreading the Christmas rush on the railway, had determined to take time by the forelock, and meant to pack off her pupils by the first available trains, trusting they would most of them reach their destinations before the overcrowding became a serious problem in the traffic."

Inflected Forms

takes time by the forelock (present, singular) taking time by the forelock (participle, present) took time by the forelock (past) taken time by the forelock (participle, past)

Synonyms

make hay while the sun shines strike while the iron is hot

Questions

What does take time by the forelock mean?: To seize an opportunity quickly before it is no longer available.

How to pronounce take time by the forelock

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “take time by the forelock”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “take time by the forelock”.
Repeat and practice — Say “take time by the forelock” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.