predecessor
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (2)
- one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
- something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someoneSynonyms: harbingerforerunnerheraldprecursor
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Predecessor \Pred`e*ces"sor\ (?; 277), n. [L. praedecessor; prae before + decessor one who withdraws from the province he has governed, a retiring officer (with reference to his successor), a predecessor, fr. decedere: cf. F. pr['e]d['e]cesseur. See Decease.] One who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position, office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes after, in any office or position. [1913 Webster]
A prince who was as watchful as his predecessor had been over the interests of the state. --Prescott. [1913 Webster]
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
parent mother predecessor
<mathematics, data> The ancestor node in a tree that points to the current node (one of its child nodes).
(2005-09-15)