Definition of "forerunner" []

• One that precedes, as in time; a predecessor. (noun)
• An ancestor; a forebear. (noun)
• One that comes before and indicates the approach of another; a harbinger. (noun)
• A warning sign or symptom. (noun)
• Sports One who skis the course before the beginning of a race. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "For me I use nokia sports tracker and my N95 8gb with its GPS for location, speed etc, but a garmin forerunner for heart rate."
• "Just launched, the new Francis collection is inspired by the Biedermeier style 1850s whose geometric shape is often described as the forerunner of modern furniture."
• "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."