Lewis Short
antĕcursor (noun M) : antecurro
* He that runs before; hence
* In milit. lang.: antecursores,the forerunners of the army, the advanced guard, precursors, pioneers,Caes. B. G. 5, 47; id. B. C. 1, 16; 3, 36; so Vulg. Sap. 12, 8.
* In Tert. John the Baptist is so named, as the forerunner of Christ, Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 33.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary