forerunner

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English forrenner, foreriner. Calque of Latin praecursor (“one who runs before, a forerunner”). Equivalent to fore- +‎ runner and/or forerun +‎ -er. === Pronunciation === === Noun === forerunner (plural forerunners) A runner at the front or ahead. (sports) By extension, a non-competitor who leads out the competitors on to the circuit, or who runs/rides the course prior to competitor trials, usually testing or checking the way. A precursor or harbinger, a warning ahead. A forebear, an ancestor, a predecessor. (philately) A postage stamp used in the time before a region or area issues stamps of its own. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== References ==== Middle English Dictionary