noun
precursor
prih-KUR-suh
noun
1
Something or someone that comes before and leads to, or signals, what follows.
"The steam engine was an important precursor to modern industrial machinery."
"Dark clouds are often a precursor to a storm."
How to Use Precursor
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that comes first and paves the way for, or hints at, what comes next.
Common pairings
a precursor to
an early precursor of
Word Forms
precursors plural
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The steam engine was an important _____ to modern industrial machinery.
Etymology
From Latin praecursor, \"forerunner,\" from praecurrere, \"to run ahead.\"