noun
precursor
pree-KUR-ser/priˈkɜːrsər/
Something that comes before and helps lead to the development of something else.
The gathering dark clouds are a precursor to the heavy downpour.
Etymology
A precursor is literally a forerunner—one that runs ahead. That image extends to something appearing before an event and indicating its approach.
In context
a food that has a precursor that then gets broken down and built up and turned into something else that gets used in the body
More examples
- Her short story became the precursor to a bestselling novel.
- Small neighborhood meetings served as precursors to the citywide campaign.
- The body uses this compound as a precursor to vitamin D.
Forms
precursor · precursors
Similar words
- forerunner
- Emphasizes an early version that anticipates something later.
- predecessor
- Something replaced by another, without necessarily contributing to its development.
- antecedent
- An earlier event or condition, not necessarily a developmental step.