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to forerun

to forerun

7.2
To go ahead of others to lead or check the path
  • verb
  • /ˈfɔːrərʌn/
: adelantar
  • He foreran the others, checking the trail for obstacles before they arrived.

Examples

  • A small team was sent to forerun the expedition and report any dangers.

  • The dog always foreruns its owner during walks.

  • The scouts will forerun the main group to ensure the path is clear.

  • She foreran the other runners at the marathon.

  • The scouts will forerun the main group to ensure the path is clear.

  • A small team was sent to forerun the expedition and report any dangers.

  • The dog always foreruns its owner during walks.

Synonyms

to make the running
vsto forerun
  • UK
1 7.7

To take the lead in a group or activity and get others to follow

goes ahead physically to lead the way or act as a scout

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To move behind someone or go along the same path

Surface Forms

forerun infinitive
forerunning present participle
foreruns third person singular
foreran past
forerun past participle

Morphology

forerun = run (transparent) = fore + run

The sense 'to go or run ahead' is a literal composition of fore- ('ahead/before') + run ('to move'), making the structure and meaning transparent.

Etymology

Forerun as a verb also comes from fore- 'before' and run 'to move quickly'. Imagine a scout who runs ahead of a group to check the road. So, to forerun someone is to go in front and lead the way.