Lewis & Short

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prae-curro, cŭcurri (curri, Liv. 8, 30, 13 Weissenb.), cursum, 3, v. n. and a., to run before, hasten on before, precede (class.; cf.: antecedo, antevenio).

  1. I. Neutr.
    1. A. Lit.: eā ego huc praecucurri gratiā, ne, etc., Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 110: propere praecucurrit, Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 11: praecucurrit index ad Persea, Liv. 40, 7, 7: praecurrunt equites, Caes. B. G. 6, 39: praecurrit ante omnes, id. B. C. 2, 34, 5: citius Petro, Vulg. Johan. 20, 4.
    2. B. Trop., to go on before, precede; to surpass, excel: eo fama jam praecucurrerat de proelio Dyrrhachino, Caes. B. C. 3, 80: ut certis rebus certa signa praecurrerent, precede, Cic. Div. 1, 52, 118; id. Ac. 1, 12, 45: alicui studio, id. Cat. 4, 9, 19; so, alicui, id. de Or. 3, 61, 230.
  2. II. Act.
    1. A. In gen., to hasten before a person or thing, to precede, go before, anticipate: illud praecurrere cogor, to combat in advance, * Lucr. 1, 371: aliquem aetate, Cic. Or. 52, 176: ita praecurrit amicitia judicium, id. Lael. 17, 62: nec appetitus rationem praecurrant, id. Off. 1, 29, 102.
    2. B. In partic., to surpass, excel in any quality: aliquem, Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 7, 28: aliquem nobilitate, Nep. Thras. 1, 3: aliquem judicio, Tac. Or. 22.
      Hence, praecurrentĭa, ĭum, n. In rhetoric like antecedentia, things that go before, antecedents, Cic. de Or. 2, 39, 166: primordia rerum et quasi praecurrentia, id. Part. 2, 7.
      * Part. perf.: praecursus, a, um, having preceded: rumore praecurso, Amm. 18, 2, 1.

2. praecursus, ūs, m. [praecurro], a forerunning, coming before, anticipation (post-Aug.): Etesiarum, Plin. 16, 25, 42, § 104: praecursu quodam gloriosae passionis, Ambros. in Luc. 5, 109.