1. (

• forecaster ,
• predictor ,
• prognosticator ,
• soothsayer

) someone who makes predictions of the future (usually on the basis of special knowledge) ;

2. (

• predictor

) information that supports a probabilistic estimate of future events; "the weekly bulletin contains several predictors of mutual fund performance" ;

3. (

• predictor

) a computer for controlling antiaircraft fire that computes the position of an aircraft at the instant of a shell's arrival ;