forerunner

views updated May 23 2018

fore·run·ner / ˈfôrˌrənər/ • n. a person or thing that precedes the coming or development of someone or something else: the icebox was a forerunner of today's refrigerator. ∎  a sign or warning of something to come: overcast mornings are the sure forerunners of steady rain. ∎ archaic an advance messenger.

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