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indicates its approach; a forerunner; a harbinger. Evil thoughts are the invisible, airy precursors of all the storms and tempests of the soul. Buckminster.

The position or condition of a precursor. Ruskin.

Preceding as a precursor or harbinger; indicating something to follow; as, precursory symptoms of a fever.

A forerunner; a precursor. [Obs.]

A small, clear space in the segments of the ovum, the precursor of the nucleus.

d blue lips, caused by undue cooling of the body or by nervous excitement, or forming the precursor of some constitutional disturbance, as of a fever.

The precursory symptoms of cholera.

A forerunner; a precursor; a messenger. I knew by these harbingers who were coming. Landor.

A forerunner; a a precursor; a harbinger. It was the lark, the herald of the morn. Shak.

A prefix denoting priority (of time, place, or rank); as, precede, to go before; precursor, a forerunner; prefix, to fix or place before; preëminent eminent before or above others. Pre- is sometimes used intensively, as in prepotent, very potent. [Written also præ-.]

A precursor. [Obs.] Shak.

Preceding; introductory; precursory. "A deep precursive sound." Coleridge.

A forerunner; a precursor.

Precursory. [R.]

; a primary form; exemplar; archetype. They will turn their backs on it, like their great precursor and prototype. Burke.

One of the precursors of the Reformation; -- a nickname corresponding to Lollard, etc.

One sent in advance; an avant-courier; a precursor.

One who makes a way; a precursor. [R.] Bacon.