harbinger
Use Harbinger in a sentence
bɪn noun
1.
a person who goes ahead and makes known the approach of another; herald.
2.
anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign: Frost is a harbinger of winter.
3.
a person sent in advance of troops, a royal train, etc., to provide or secure lodgings and other accommodations.
verb (used with object)
4.
to act as harbinger to; herald the coming of.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To harbinger
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Harbinger
is a TOEFL word you need to know.
So is predict. Does it mean:
| to tell what will happen in advance |
| any remains, impression, or trace of a living thing of a former geologic age, as a skeleton, footprint, etc. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
harbinger (ˈhɑːbɪndʒə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a person or thing that announces or indicates the approach of something; forerunner |
| 2. | obsolete a person sent in advance of a royal party or army to obtain lodgings for them |
| —vb | |
| 3. | (tr) to announce the approach or arrival of |
| [C12: from Old French herbergere, from herberge lodging, from Old Saxon heriberga; compare Old High German heriberga army shelter; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
harbinger
c.1471, herbengar "one sent ahead to arrange lodgings" (for a monarch, an army, etc.), alt. of M.E. herberger "provider of shelter, innkeeper" (c.1175), from O.Fr. herbergeor, from herbergier "provide lodging," from herber "lodging, shelter," from Frank. *heriberga "lodging, inn" (cf. O.S., O.H.G. heriberga
"army shelter," from heri "army" + berga "shelter"); see harbor. Sense of "forerunner" is 1550. Intrusive -n- is 15c. (see messenger).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Oil prices are seen as an indication of current inflation, and gold prices a harbinger of future inflation.
TO the baseball writer the robin is not the first harbinger of spring.
But the debate between the reverends might be a harbinger of coming change.
School strikes have joined football as a harbinger of fall.
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