forerunning
|for-er-run-ning|
🇺🇸
/ˌfɔrˈrʌnɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌfɔːˈrʌnɪŋ/
(forerun)
run before; precede
Etymology
'forerun' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'for-rinnan', where 'for-' meant 'before' and 'rinnan' meant 'to run'.
'forerun' changed from Old English word 'for-rinnan' and Middle English forms such as 'forrinnen/forrun' and eventually became the modern English word 'forerun'.
Initially, it meant 'to run ahead', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to precede' or 'come before'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or state of coming before; an instance or occurrence of preceding (used rarely).
There was some forerunning to the reform that made the larger changes easier to accept.
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Verb 1
present-participle form of 'forerun': acting to go before or precede (in place, time, or development).
A small scout team was forerunning the main column to check the route.
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Adjective 1
describing something that comes before another thing in time or as a sign: preceding; preliminary.
The forerunning gusts warned residents that the storm was approaching.
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Last updated: 2025/10/01 23:31