Precursor
Pronunciation : Pre*cur"sor
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [L. praecursor, fr. praecurrere to run before; prae before + currere to run. See Course.]
Definition : Defn: One who, or that which, precedes an event, and indicates its approach; a forerunner; a harbinger. Evil thoughts are the invisible, airy precursors of all the storms and tempests of the soul. Buckminster.
Syn. -- Predecessor; forerunner; harbinger; messenger; omen; sign.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913