noun / verb
presage
preh-SAYJ/prˈɛsɪdʒ/
A sign of a future event, or to serve as such a sign.
The gathering clouds presage a storm over the dry ground.
Etymology
“Before” and “prophetic” combine in the idea of perceiving something beforehand. Through the related meaning “omen,” presage came to describe giving an advance sign of what will happen.
In context
The most dangerous of these regimes is Iran. If this regime, or its despotic neighbor Iraq, were to acquire nuclear weapons, this could presage catastrophic consequences
More examples
- The early blossoms are a presage of spring.
- Investors see rising sales as a presage of recovery.
- The small disagreements presaged a much larger conflict.
Forms
presage · presages · presaged · presaging