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precursor

[ pri-kur-ser, pree-kur- ]
/ prɪˈkɜr sər, ˈpri kɜr- /
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See synonyms for: precursor / precursors on Thesaurus.com

noun
a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor.
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.
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.
Biology. a cell or tissue that gives rise to a variant, specialized, or more mature form.
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Origin of precursor

1375–1425; late Middle English <Latin praecursor forerunner. See pre-, cursor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use precursor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for precursor

precursor
/ (prɪˈkɜːsə) /

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

Word Origin for precursor

C16: from Latin praecursor one who runs in front, from praecurrere, from prae in front + currere to run
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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