early

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
early/ˈɜːli/

▶adjective (earlier, earliest)

• 1 before the usual or expected time.

• 2 of, at, or near the beginning of a particular time, period, or sequence.

  ■ (of a plant or crop) flowering or ripening before other varieties.

▶adverb

• 1 before the usual or expected time.

• 2 at or near the beginning of a time, period, etc.

▶noun (earlies)

• 1 potatoes ready to be harvested before the main crop.

• 2 informal early shifts.

– phrases
at the earliest not before the time or date specified.
early bird humorous a person who rises or arrives early.
early (or earlier) on at an early (or earlier) stage.

– derivatives
earliness noun.

– origin OE (as adv.) ǣrlīce (see ere, -ly2), influenced by ON árliga.