/ ˈherəld; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb [ vn ] ( formal )
1.
to be a sign that sth is going to happen :
These talks could herald a new era of peace
2.
herald sb/sth (as sth) [ often passive ] to say in public that sb/sth is good or important :
The report is being heralded as a blueprint for the future of transport.
■ noun
1.
something that shows that sth else is going to happen soon :
The government claims that the fall in unemployment is the herald of economic recovery.
2.
(in the past) a person who carried messages from a ruler
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French herault (noun), herauder (verb), of Germanic origin.