Precursors: meaning, definitions and examples
🔍
precursors
[ prɪˈkəːsəz ]
chemistry
Chemical compounds or substances that are used to create a new compound or substance.
Synonyms
antecedents, forerunners, predecessors
Examples of usage
- These precursors are essential for the synthesis of the final product.
- The precursors undergo a series of reactions to form the desired compound.
biology
An ancestor or a previous form of something.
Synonyms
ancestors, forebears, progenitors
Examples of usage
- The modern birds are considered the precursors of the dinosaurs.
- The single-celled organisms are the precursors of complex life forms.
Translations
Translations of the word "precursors" in other languages:
🇵🇹 precursores
🇮🇳 पूर्ववर्ती
🇩🇪 Vorgänger
🇮🇩 pendahulu
🇺🇦 попередники
🇵🇱 prekursory
🇯🇵 前駆者 (ぜんくしゃ)
🇫🇷 précurseurs
🇪🇸 precursores
🇹🇷 öncüller
🇰🇷 선구자 (선구자)
🇸🇦 السابقون
🇨🇿 předchůdci
🇸🇰 predchodcovia
🇨🇳 先驱者 (xiānqūzhě)
🇸🇮 predhodniki
🇮🇸 forverar
🇰🇿 алғашқы
🇬🇪 წინამძღვრები
🇦🇿 sələflər
🇲🇽 precursores
Word origin
The word 'precursors' has Latin origins, with 'pre-' meaning 'before' and 'cursor' meaning 'runner'. It dates back to the 17th century and has been used in various fields to refer to things that come before and lead to the development of something else.