'before-meal' originates from the combination of 'before' and 'meal', where 'before' meant 'in advance of' and 'meal' referred to 'an occasion of eating food'.

'before' and 'meal' have been used in English since Old English times, and their combination into 'before-meal' is a modern construct to describe timing relative to eating.

Initially, it meant 'in advance of eating', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.