a. before in time; prior; n. event happening prior to; Music, subject of fugue stated in first part; Grammar, previous word, especially one to which pronoun, etc., refers; pl. personal history; ancestry. antecedence, n.antecessor, n. predecessor.
The central band was originally red. It was changed to blue to express solidarity with the Allies during World War I. Effective date: 28 September 1917.