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precursor
(redirected from Precursors)

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.
pre·cur·sor  (pr-kûrsr, prkûrsr)
n.
1. One that precedes and indicates, suggests, or announces someone or something to come: Colonial opposition to unfair taxation by the British was a precursor of the Revolution.
2. One that precedes another; a forerunner or predecessor: The new principal's precursor was an eminent educator.
3. A biochemical substance, such as an intermediate compound in a chain of enzymatic reactions, from which a more stable or definitive product is formed: a precursor of insulin.

[Middle English precursoure, from Old French precurseur, from Latin praecursor, from praecursus, past participle of praecurrere, to run before : prae-, pre- + currere, to run; see kers- in Indo-European roots.]

precursor [prɪˈkɜːsə]
n
1. a person or thing that precedes and shows or announces someone or something to come; harbinger
2. a predecessor or forerunner
3. (Chemistry) a chemical substance that gives rise to another more important substance
[from Latin praecursor one who runs in front, from praecurrere, from prae in front + currere to run]

Any chemical reactant which takes place at any stage in the production by whatever method of a toxic chemical. This includes any key component of a binary or multicomponent chemical system. See also toxic chemical.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.precursor - a substance from which another substance is formed (especially by a metabolic reaction)
biochemistry - the organic chemistry of compounds and processes occurring in organisms; the effort to understand biology within the context of chemistry
material, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread"
2.precursor - a person who goes before or announces the coming of another
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
predecessor - one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
3.precursor - something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone
indicant, indication - something that serves to indicate or suggest; "an indication of foul play"; "indications of strain"; "symptoms are the prime indicants of disease"

precursor
noun
1. forerunner, pioneer, predecessor, forebear, antecedent, originator Real tennis, a precursor of the modern game, originated in the eleventh century.
2. herald, usher, messenger, vanguard, forerunner, harbinger The deal should not be seen as a precursor to a merger.
Translations
precursor [priːˈkɜːsəʳ] Nprecursor(a) m/f
precursor [priːˈkɜːrr] n
(= person) → précurseur m (= thing) → précurseur m (= event) → précurseur m
a precursor of sth → un précurseur de qch
a precursor to sth → un précurseur de qch
(CHEMISTRY) (also precursor chemical) → précurseur m
precursor
nVorläufer(in) m(f); (= herald: of event etc) → Vorbote m, → Vorbotin f; (in office) → (Amts)vorgänger(in) m(f)
precursor [ˌpriːˈkɜːsəʳ] nprecursore m
precursor [ˌpriːˈkɜːsəʳ] nprecursore m


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