noun
harbinger
HAH-bihnd-zhuh
noun
1
A person or sign that shows something is about to happen, especially something important.
"The first robin of spring is often seen as a harbinger of warmer weather."
"Rising layoffs were a harbinger of the coming recession."
How to Use Harbinger
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn early sign or messenger that something (often significant, sometimes bad) is coming.
Common pairings
a harbinger of doom
a harbinger of change
harbinger of spring
Word Forms
harbingered past tense, harbingers plural, harbingers singular
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The first robin of spring is often seen as a _____ of warmer weather.
Etymology
Originally meant a person sent ahead to arrange lodgings for travellers, from Old French herbergeor, related to "harbor."