n. 1. A person who carries or proclaims important news; a messenger. 2. One that gives a sign or indication of something to come; a harbinger: The crocus is a herald of spring. 3. An official whose specialty is heraldry. 4. a. An official formerly charged with making royal proclamations and bearing messages of state between sovereigns. b. An official who formerly made proclamations and conveyed challenges at a tournament. tr.v. her·ald·ed, her·ald·ing, her·alds 1. To proclaim, especially with enthusiasm; announce or acclaim: cheers that heralded the team's arrival. 2. To be a sign of; foreshadow: The discovery heralds a new era in drug treatment. [Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, of Germanic origin; see koro- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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