1. (n.) An officer whose business was to denounce or proclaim war, to challenge to battle, to proclaim peace, and to bear messages from the commander of an army. He was invested with a sacred and inviolable character.

2. (n.) In the Middle Ages, the officer charged with the above duties, and also with the care of genealogies, of the rights and privileges of noble families, and especially of armorial bearings. In modern times, some vestiges of this office remain, especially in England. See King-at-Arms.

3. (n.) A proclaimer; one who, or that which, publishes or announces; as, the herald of another's fame.

4. (n.) A forerunner; a precursor; a harbinger.

5. (n.) Any messenger.

6. (v. t.) To introduce, or give tidings of, as by a herald; to proclaim; to announce; to foretell; to usher in.

Clarenceux College of Arms Gabriel Garter Lyon Norroy Norroy and Ulster ancestor announce announcer antecede antecedent antedate anticipate avant-garde ballyhoo be before be early bellwether blare blare forth blaze blaze abroad blaze the trail blazon blazon about break the trail buccinator buccinator novi temporis bushwhacker celebrate come before commissar commissary commissionaire commissioner courier crier cry cry out declaim delegate earl marshal emissary envoy evangel evangelist explorer forebear foregoer forerun forerunner foreshadower foreshow front runner frontiersman fugleman give notice go before groundbreaker guide harbinger herald abroad herald angel innovator introduce king at arms king of arms lead lead runner leader legate messenger minister mouthpiece notify official spokesman outrider pathfinder pioneer point preannounce precede precedent precurse precursor predate predecessor preexist preindicate premonitor presage presager proclaim prolocutor prolocutress prolocutrix promulgate rapporteur reporter run before scout secretary shout speaker spokesman spokeswoman stormy petrel thunder thunder forth trailblazer trailbreaker trumpet trumpet forth usher in vanguard vaunt-courier voice voortrekker