fore·run·ner 
/ˈfoɚˌrʌnɚ/ noun
plural fore·run·ners /ˈfoɚˌrʌnɚ/ noun [count] 1 : someone or something that comes before another
▪ a simple machine that was the forerunner of today's computers 2 : a sign of something that is going to happen
▪ I had that strange feeling that's the forerunner of a cold.
▪ a simple machine that was the forerunner of today's computers
▪ I had that strange feeling that's the forerunner of a cold.
