n.
Pronunciation: ' fo ̇ r- ˌ r ə -n ə r
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
1 : one that precedes and indicates the approach of another: as a : a premonitory sign or symptom b : a skier who runs the course before the start of a race
2 : PREDECESSOR , ANCESTOR
synonyms FORERUNNER , PRECURSOR , HARBINGER , HERALD mean one that goes before or announces the coming of another. FORERUNNER is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage <the blockade was the forerunner of war>. PRECURSOR applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another <18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics>. HARBINGER and HERALD both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event <their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season> <the herald of a new age in medicine>.