prel·ude
/ˈprelˌyo͞od,ˈprāˌlo͞od/
mid 16th century: from French prélude, from medieval Latin praeludium, from Latin praeludere ‘play beforehand’, from prae ‘before’ + ludere ‘to play’.
noun: prelude; plural noun: preludes
- 1.an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.
- 2.
- a short introductory piece of music, especially for the piano.
- the introductory part of a poem or other literary work.
"education cannot simply be a prelude to a career"
Similar:
preliminary
overture
opening
preparation
introduction
start
beginning
curtain-raiser
lead-in
precursor
forerunner
harbinger
herald
opener
commencement
prolusion
an introductory piece of music, most commonly an orchestral opening to an act of an opera, the first movement of a suite, or a piece preceding a fugue.
Similar:
overture
introductory movement
introduction
opening
voluntary
verset
Similar:
introduction
preface
prologue
foreword
preamble
intro
proem
exordium
prolegomenon
prodrome
Opposite:
conclusion
postscript
verb
verb: prelude; 3rd person present: preludes; past tense: preluded; past participle: preluded; gerund or present participle: preluding
- serve as a prelude or introduction to.
"the bombardment preluded an all-out final attack"