precursor

[priːˈkɜːsə(r)]

precursor Definition

• 1. a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind and indicates that it will follow or is likely to do so
• 2. a substance from which another, usually more active or mature, substance is formed

Using precursor: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "precursor" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  The steam engine was a precursor to the modern locomotive.

• Example

  The company's success in the domestic market was a precursor to its expansion overseas.

• Example

  The discovery of gold was a precursor to the town's growth.

• Example

  The early signs of the disease are often precursors to more serious symptoms.

precursor Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for precursor

• forerunner
• harbinger
• herald
• predecessor
• antecedent

Antonyms for precursor

• successor
• descendant

Idioms Using precursor

• a precursor to something

  something that happens before and indicates the coming of something else

  Example

  The invention of the printing press was a precursor to the Information Age.

• be a precursor of something

  to be an early indication or sign of something that will happen in the future

  Example

  The stock market crash of 1929 was a precursor of the Great Depression.

• set the stage for something

  to create the conditions that make something possible

  Example

  The development of the Internet set the stage for the digital revolution.

Phrases with precursor

• precursor cell

  a cell that gives rise to another cell type

  Example

  Stem cells are precursor cells that can differentiate into many different types of cells.

• precursor molecule

  a molecule that is converted into another molecule through a chemical reaction

  Example

  Cholesterol is a precursor molecule for the synthesis of steroid hormones.

• precursor protein

  a protein that is converted into another protein through post-translational modification

  Example

  Insulin is synthesized as a precursor protein called proinsulin.

Origins of precursor

from Latin 'praecursor', meaning 'forerunner'

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Summary: precursor in Brief

'Precursor' [priːˈkɜːsə(r)] refers to a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind and indicates that it will follow or is likely to do so. It also refers to a substance from which another, usually more active or mature, substance is formed. Examples include the steam engine as a precursor to the modern locomotive and the early signs of a disease as precursors to more serious symptoms. The idiom 'set the stage for something' is often used to describe the precursor to a significant event.