Link Centre Dictionary

prelude

pre·lude

UK/ˈpɹɛljuːd/ US/ˈpɹiːluːd/ uncommon
noun (2) verb (2)

noun

1.

something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows

  • “training is a necessary preliminary to employment”
  • “drinks were the overture to dinner”
Synonyms
2.

music that precedes a fugue or introduces an act in an opera

verb

1.

serve as a prelude or opening to

2.

play as a prelude

Origin

From Middle French prélude (“singing to test a musical instrument”), from Medieval Latin preludium, from Latin praelūdere.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.