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# precursor

noun (a precursor, precursors)

«precursor» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Something that came before a later thing and led to it or helped it develop: «The abacus was a precursor of the calculator.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#m1)
2. A sign or event that comes before something else: «a precursor to a storm». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#m2)
3. (science) A substance from which another substance is made in a chemical reaction or in the body. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history and technology lessons we trace precursors: older inventions, animals or ideas that came first. In science a precursor is a starting chemical. Phrases: «a precursor of», «a precursor to», «an early precursor».

### Examples

- The penny-farthing was a precursor of the modern bicycle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#x1)
- Telegrams were a precursor to text messages. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#x2)
- Some dinosaurs were precursors of birds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#x3)
- Dark clouds were the precursor to a big storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#x4)
- The Greek Olympics were a precursor of today's Games. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#x5)
- In plants, some chemicals are precursors of colours in leaves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#x6)
- The first computer games were simple precursors of the games we play now. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a precursor, precursors. Use «precursor of» or «precursor to». It is formal; in everyday talk you can say «forerunner» or «early version». From Latin for «a runner who goes ahead».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «precursor»](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/english/P/precursor/): every meaning and example of this page parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«precursor» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/precursor.html) on Mova free.