premonitor

plural premonitors

1. One who, or that which, gives premonition; a harbinger

   When asleep, the increase of the respirations was the premonitor of resolution.

   1872 August, Alexander Edward M'Rae, “The Physiological Action of Chloral, illustrated by Experiments”, in “The” Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, page 146

   4 more examples

   Beloved, give me leave to be a premonitor, a forewarner to you in this place, and to tell you that these things must needs provoke God to heavy displeasure .

   1642, Thomas Cheshire, A True Copy of that Sermon which was preached at St Pauls, page 14

   and if he is legitimately attended to, sedulously known, and religiously reverenced, in the way he was reverenced by Socrates, with justice and innocence, will be a predicter in things uncertain, a premonitor in things dubious, a defender in things dangerous, and an assistant in want.

   1853, G. W. Bethune, “Life and Opinions of Socrates”, in Edward A. Rice, editor, The Ladies' Diadem: a Token of Friendship, page 80

   By power of legal suasion, forbid all emanation Of brewers' fermentation, or poisonous preparation Of spirit distillation, nor any vain libation, Producing stimulation, premonitor of desolation.

   1871, John N. Stearns, The Temperance Speaker, page 89

   The purpose of this research is to determine whether unusual animal behavior may serve as a biological premonitor of earthquakes.

   1980, Summaries of Technical Reports, Volume X, page 423

2. A forerunner; a predecessor.

   And within this erect sport-producing structure is found a columella, which may be regarded as the premonitor of a vascular system.

   1905, Annual Report of the Iowa State Horticultural Society- Volume 39, page 32

present singular third person premonitors · participle present premonitoring · participle past premonitored · past premonitored

1. To monitor beforehand.

   4. premonitor all eating;

   1980, Sheldon D. Rose, A Casebook in Group Therapy: A Behavioral Cognitive Approach, page 145

   2 more examples

   The premonitoring group recorded food, amount, time, and place of eating prior to eating.

   1984, Michael Merbaum, Michael Rosenbaum, “Self-Control Theory and Technique in the Modification of Smoking, Obesity, and Alcohol Abuse”, in Cyril M. Franks, editor, New Developments in Behavior Therapy, page 82

   They are only to premonitor construction activities to be expected.

   1995, George van Leeuwen, “A Hedonic Approach to Output Price Indices for Construction”, in Proceedings of the 1995 Annual Research Conference of the U.S. Department of Commerce, page 745