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Webster 1913 Edition

Harbinger

Har′bin-ger

(ha̤r′bĭn-jẽr)
,
Noun.
[OE.
herbergeour
, OF.
herbergeor
one who provides lodging, fr.
herbergier
to provide lodging, F.
héberger
, OF.
herberge
lodging, inn, F.
auberge
; of German origin. See
Harbor
.]
1.
One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when traveling, to provide and prepare lodgings.
Fuller.
2.
A forerunner; a precursor; a messenger.
I knew by these
harbingers
who were coming.
Landor.

Har′bin-ger

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Harbingered
(ha̤r′bĭn-jẽrd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Harbingering
.]
To usher in; to be a harbinger of.
“Thus did the star of religious freedom harbinger the day.”
Bancroft.

Webster 1828 Edition

Harbinger

H`ARBINGER

,
Noun.
[See Harbor. Harbinger is properly a person who goes to provide harbor or lodgings for those that follow.]
1.
In England, an officer of the king's household who rides a day's journey before the court when traveling, to provide lodgings and other accommodations.
2.
A forerunner; a precursor; that which precedes and gives notice of the expected arrival of something else.

Definition 2025

harbinger

harbinger

English

Noun

harbinger ‎(plural harbingers)

  1. A person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something.
    • Landor
      I knew by these harbingers who were coming.
  2. (obsolete) One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when travelling, to provide and prepare lodgings.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Fuller to this entry?)

Synonyms

Translations

External links

Verb

harbinger ‎(third-person singular simple present harbingers, present participle harbingering, simple past and past participle harbingered)

  1. (transitive) To announce; to be a harbinger of.

Synonyms

Translations

References

  • harbinger in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

See also

Etymology

Originally, a person that is sent in advance to arrange lodgings. From Middle English herbergeour, from Old French herbergeor ( > French hébergeur, from héberger ‎(“to accommodate, put up”), from Frankish *heriberga ‎(“lodging, inn”, literally “army shelter”), from Proto-Germanic *harjaz ‎(“army”) + *bergô ‎(“protection”). Compare German Herberge, Italian albergo, Dutch herberg, English harbour. More at here, borrow.

Pronunciation

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