The past; time gone by; previously existing time (archaic or poetic).
Compound from heretofore (before now, previously) + time. An archaic poetic formation emphasizing the temporal rather than logical dimension of 'heretofore,' used in elevated or literary contexts.
Heretoforetime is pure poetic language—it sounds almost Shakespearean, emphasizing that the past isn't just 'before now' but is its own substantial temporal realm that writers could evoke with compound words.
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