precursor
Americannoun
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a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor.
- Synonyms:
- forerunner
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a person, animal, or thing that goes before and indicates the approach of someone or something else; harbinger.
The first robin is a precursor of spring.
- Synonyms:
- herald
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Chemistry, Biochemistry. a chemical that is transformed into another compound, as in the course of a chemical reaction, and therefore precedes that compound in the synthetic pathway.
Cholesterol is a precursor of testosterone.
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Biology. a cell or tissue that gives rise to a variant, specialized, or more mature form.
noun
-
a person or thing that precedes and shows or announces someone or something to come; harbinger
-
a predecessor or forerunner
-
a chemical substance that gives rise to another more important substance
Etymology
Origin of precursor
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin praecursor forerunner. See pre-, cursor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The research lab was already known to Silicon Valley cognoscenti for having invented a personal computer called the Alto and the precursor to the Ethernet networking system.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
These proteins, writes Mr. Gifford, can also help reverse nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease, which is often a precursor to diabetes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
One Battle is the clear frontrunner after a string of big wins at precursor ceremonies, and its director Paul Thomas Anderson is widely predicted to finally win his first Oscar for directing.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
Crypto firms want to pay the yields, which some of them call “rewards,” to encourage more consumers to buy the tokens, which are often a precursor to investing in other digital assets.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
Scientists in laboratories throughout North America and Europe began fusing cells and using them to map genetic traits to specific chromosomes, creating a precursor to the human genome map we have today.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
