Prelude

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɛljuːd/

Definitions

1. An introductory performance, action, or event that comes before and leads into something more significant
2. An introductory action or event that precedes and foreshadows a more substantial occurrence or development
3. Something that serves as an opening or preliminary action leading to a more important event or situation

Etymology: The word began as a musical term. In Middle French, "prélude" meant a passage of singing or playing used to test an instrument and get it ready before the real piece began. That sense came from Medieval Latin "preludium," which in turn came from the Latin verb "praelūdere," literally "to play before." The verb combined "prae," meaning "before," with "lūdere," "to play," so the idea of a warm-up was built into its very parts. From that practical origin, the word moved from the instrument to the piece itself. A prelude became an opening movement, a short introductory composition standing ahead of a larger work, and the sense of something that comes first and points toward what follows is what carried it into general use. Today the word for a preliminary event that foreshadows something bigger grows directly out of that musical habit of testing the strings before the main performance.

Synonyms: introduction, foreword, prologue

Antonyms: conclusion