herald

noun

1. A messenger, especially one bringing important news.

   “The herald blew his trumpet and shouted that the King was dead.”

2. A harbinger, giving signs of things to come.

   “Daffodils are heralds of Spring.”

3. An official whose speciality is heraldry, especially one between the ranks of pursuivant and king-of-arms

   “Rouge Dragon is a herald at the College of Arms.”

4. A moth of the species Scoliopteryx libatrix.
5. A handbill consisting of an advertisement.

   “New this season will be a 20-sheet poster depicting 21 K-M elephants parading to local Chevrolet agencies. Deal calls for use of the 20-sheet on poster panels where the auto agency has space allotment. Smaller versions of the same art also will be used. Circulation of Kelly-Miller heralds, which last season averaged between 5,000 and 6,000 copies per stand, will be in for one of the greatest boosts this year.”

6. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of hareld (“long-tailed duck”).

verb

1. (figuratively, often, transitive)To proclaim or announce an event.

   “Daffodils herald the Spring.”

   “Then, some five miles north of Bolna, the entry into the Arctic is heralded by a long blast on the whistle of the engine. The Arctic Circle is marked by a sign on the east side of the line.”

   “Our arrival at Worcester is heralded by the appearance of the city's cathedral tower, a solid square structure that's dominated the skyline since the 12th century.”

2. (passive, transitive, usually)To greet something with excitement; to hail.

   “The film was heralded by critics.”

name

1. A surname.
2. A census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States.