Vanguard - Definition

n 1: the leading units moving at the head of an army [syn:
vanguard, van]
2: any creative group active in the innovation and application
of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially
in the arts) [syn: avant-garde, vanguard, van, new
wave]
3: the position of greatest importance or advancement; the
leading position in any movement or field; "the Cotswolds
were once at the forefront of woollen manufacturing in
England"; "the idea of motion was always to the forefront of
his mind and central to his philosophy" [syn: vanguard,
forefront, cutting edge]