Foreshadower

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Something or someone that hints at or signals events yet to come, giving an early sign of what will happen later on
2. A sign, person, or thing that gives advance warning or a subtle preview of a future development in a story or situation
3. An omen or early indication that points toward what lies ahead, often hinting at a coming outcome before it arrives

Etymology: "Foreshadower" is simply "foreshadow" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names a thing or person that foreshadows. "Foreshadow" itself is a compound of "fore," meaning "before in time," and "shadow," which in the sense of an omen or a sign of coming events gives the word its figurative force: something that casts its shade ahead of itself. The suffix "-er" comes from Old English "-ere," used to form nouns for those who or what perform an action, so a foreshadower is whatever performs the act of foreshadowing.

Synonyms: harbinger, forerunner, herald, precursor, omen