former in WordNet English dictionary

1. belonging to the distant past
   "the early inhabitants of Europe"; "former generations"; "in other times"
   early  former  other 
   
2. belonging to some prior time
   "erstwhile friend"; "our former glory"; "the once capital of the state"; "her quondam lover"
   erstwhile  former  old  onetime  one-time  quondam  sometime 
   
3. referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
   "the novel was made into a film in 1943 and again in 1967; I prefer the former version to the latter one"
   former 
   
4. (used especially of persons) of the immediate past
   "the former president"; "our late President is still very active"; "the previous occupant of the White House"
   former  late  previous 
   

1. the first of two or the first mentioned of two
   "Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the former is remembered today"
   former