on the eve of
on the eve of (something)
Immediately prior to something; just before something. Sometimes literally meaning "on the evening before (something)." Militants attacked the embassy on the eve of the anniversary of the historic peace agreement. She got cold feet on the eve of her wedding and got on a plane to Europe.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
on the eve of something
Fig. just before something, possibly the evening before something. John decided to leave school on the eve of his graduation. The team held a party on the eve of the tournament.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
on the eve of
Just prior to, as in On the eve of the conference the main speaker backed out. This expression uses eve, literally "the night before," more loosely. [Late 1700s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.