harbinger

== English == === Etymology === Originally, a person sent in advance to arrange lodgings. From Middle English herberjour, herbergeour, from Old French herbergeor (French hébergeur), from herbergier (“to set up camp; to shelter; to take shelter”) + -or (suffix forming agent nouns), from Old High German heribergan, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *harjabergu (“army camp, shelter”). Compare German Herberge, Italian albergo, Dutch herberg, English harbor. More at here, borrow. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈhɑːbɪndʒə/ (US) enPR: härʹbĭnjər, IPA(key): /ˈhɑɹ.bɪn.d͡ʒəɹ/ Hyphenation: har‧bin‧ger === Noun === harbinger (plural harbingers) A person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something. Synonyms: forewarning, herald, omen, premonition, sign, signal, prophet, precursor For more quotations using this term, see Citations:harbinger. (obsolete) One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when travelling, to provide and prepare lodgings. 1644, Thomas Fuller, "Truth Maintained" (a sermon) outward decency […] is the Harbinger to provide the lodging for inward holinesse ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === harbinger (third-person singular simple present harbingers, present participle harbingering, simple past and past participle harbingered) (transitive) To announce or precede; to be a harbinger of. Synonym: herald ==== Related terms ==== harbinge ==== Translations ==== === See also === === Further reading === Harbinger in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911) “harbinger”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.