harbinger

C2 Topic:War & Conflict
US /ˈhɑɹ.bɪn.d͡ʒəɹ/ UK /ˈhɑːbɪndʒə/
noun Freq #34802

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    A person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something.

    Harbinger of danger; harbinger of doom; harbinger of spring.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a person or thing that... forewarningheraldomenprecursorpremonitionprophetsignsignal
Word family
Derived forms harbinger-of-springharbingership

Etymology

Originally, a person sent in advance to arrange lodgings. From Middle English herberjour, herbergeour, from Old French herbergeor (French hébergeur), from herbergier (“to set up camp; to shelter; to take shelter”) + -or (suffix forming agent nouns), from Old High German heribergan, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *harjabergu (“army camp, shelter”). Compare German Herberge, Italian albergo, Dutch herberg, English harbor. More at here, borrow.

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