FORERUN'NER, noun 1. A messenger sent before to give notice of the approach of others; a harbinger. My elder brothers, my forerunners came. 2. An ancestor or predecessor. obsolete 3. A prognostic; a sign foreshowing something to follow. Certain pains in the head, back and limbs are the forerunners of a fever.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI