precursor

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pre=cur=sor

CIDE DICTIONARY

precursor, n. [L. praecursor, fr. praecurrere to run before; prae before + currere to run. See Course.].

 One who, or that which, precedes an event, and indicates its approach; a forerunner; a harbinger.  [1913 Webster]
"Evil thoughts are the invisible, airy precursors of all the storms and tempests of the soul."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Predecessor; forerunner; harbinger; messenger; omen; sign.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

precursor, n.
1 a a forerunner. b a person who precedes in office etc.
2 a harbinger.
3 a substance from which another is formed by decay or chemical reaction etc.

Etymology

L praecursor f. praecurrere praecurs- (as PRAE-, currere run)

THESAURUS

precursor

advance guard, agent, airhead, alterant, alterative, alterer, ancestor, ancestors, announcer, antecedence, antecedency, antecedent, anteposition, anteriority, apprentice, architect, artificer, artist, author, avant-garde, battle line, beachhead, begetter, beginner, bridgehead, buccinator novi temporis, builder, catalyst, catalytic agent, colonial, colonist, colonizer, conceiver, constructor, craftsman, creator, danger sign, designer, deviser, discoverer, dominion, early bird, early comer, early riser, early symptom, effector, engenderer, engineer, executor, executrix, falling barometer, farthest outpost, father, ferment, first arrival, first line, forefront, foregoer, foregoing, forerunner, foreshadower, founder, front, front line, front position, front rank, front-runner, gathering clouds, generator, grower, harbinger, heading, herald, high sign, homesteader, immigrant, inaugurator, industrialist, initiator, innovationist, innovator, instigator, institutor, introducer, inventor, journeyman, le pas, leading, leaven, line, maker, manufacturer, master, master craftsman, messenger, modificator, modifier, mother, nester, omen, organizer, originator, outguard, outpost, outrider, past master, pioneer, planner, planter, point, precedence, precedency, precedent, preceding, precession, predecessor, preference, prefixation, preliminary sign, prelude, premise, premonitor, premonitory sign, premonitory symptom, presager, prime mover, priority, prodroma, prodrome, producer, prothesis, prototype, quarantine flag, railhead, raiser, realizer, red flag, red light, scout, settler, shaper, sire, skull and crossbones, smith, sooner, spearhead, squatter, storm petrel, stormy petrel, superiority, symptom, the lead, thundercloud, thunderhead, top priority, transformer, transmogrifier, urgency, van, vanguard, warning sign, warning signal, wright, yeast, yellow flag, yellow jack

ROGET THESAURUS

precursor

Precedence

N precedence, coming before, the lead, le pas, superiority, importance, antecedence, antecedency, anteriority, precursor, priority, precession, anteposition, epacme, preference, preceding, precedent, antecedent, anterior, prior, before, former, foregoing, beforementioned, abovementioned, aforementioned, aforesaid, said, precursory, precursive, prevenient, preliminary, prefatory, introductory, prelusive, prelusory, proemial, preparatory, before, in advance, seniores priores, prior tempore prior jure.

Precursor

N precursor, antecedent, precedent, predecessor, forerunner, vancourier, avant-coureur, pioneer, prodrome, prodromos, prodromus, outrider, leader, bellwether, herald, harbinger, foreboding, dawn, avant-courier, avant-garde, bellmare, forelooper, foreloper, stalking-horse, voorlooper, voortrekker, prelude, preamble, preface, prologue, foreword, avant-propos, protasis, proemium, prolusion, proem, prolepsis, prolegomena, prefix, introduction, heading, frontispiece, groundwork, preparation, overture, exordium, symphony, premises, prefigurement, omen, precursory, prelusive, prelusory, preludious, proemial, introductory, prefatory, prodromous, inaugural, preliminary, precedent, a precedent embalms a principle.

Priority

N priority, antecedence, anteriority, precedence, pre-existence, precession, precursor, the past, premises, prior, previous, preceding, precedent, anterior, antecedent, pre- existing, pre-existent, former, foregoing, aforementioned, before- mentioned, abovementioned, aforesaid, said, introductory, before, prior to, earlier, previously, afore, aforehand, beforehand, ere, theretofore, erewhile, ere then, ere now, before then, before now, erewhile, already, yet, beforehand, on the eve of, prior tempore prior jure.

Precession

N precession, leading, heading, precedence, priority, the lead, le pas, van, precursor, leading, precedent, in advance, before, ahead, in the van, in the lead, foremost, headmost, in front, at the head, out in front, way out in front, far ahead, seniores priores, ahead of his time.