CI-DEVANT

Ci `-de *vant ", a. Etym: [F., hitherto, formerly. ]

ci-devant

ci-de vant |ˌsē dəˈväN ˌsɪ dəˈvɑnt | ▶adjective [ attrib. ] from or in an earlier time (used to indicate that someone or something once possessed a specified characteristic but no longer does so ): her ci-devant student, now her lover. ORIGIN early 18th cent.: French, literally ‘heretofore. ’

ci-devant

ci-devant |ˌsiːdəˈvɒ̃, French sidvɑ̃ | ▶adjective [ attrib. ] from or in an earlier time; former: her ci-devant pupil, now her lover. ORIGIN French, ‘heretofore ’.