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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Prelude \Pre*lude"\, verb (used without an object) [imp. & p. p. {Preluded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Preluding}.] [L. praeludere, praelusum; prae before + ludere to play: cf. F. pr['e]luder. See {Ludicrous}.] To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance; to serve as prelude.
The musicians preluded on their instruments. --Sir. W. Scott.
We are preluding too largely, and must come at once to the point. --Jeffrey.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Prelude \Pre*lude"\, verb (used with an object)
1. To introduce with a previous performance; to play or perform a prelude to; as, to prelude a concert with a lively air.
2. To serve as prelude to; to precede as introductory.
[Music] preluding some great tragedy. --Longfellow
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Prelude \Pre"lude\, noun [F. pr['e]lude (cf. It. preludio, LL. praeludium), fr. L. prae before + ludus play. See {Prelude}, verb (used with an object)] An introductory performance, preceding and preparing for the principal matter; a preliminary part, movement, strain, etc.; especially (Mus.), a strain introducing the theme or chief subject; a movement introductory to a fugue, yet independent; -- with recent composers often synonymous with overture.
The last Georgic was a good prelude to the [AE]nis --Addison.
The cause is more than the prelude, the effect is more than the sequel, of the fact. --Whewell.
Syn: Preface; introduction; preliminary; preamble; forerunner; harbinger; precursor.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
prelude
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" [syn: {preliminary}, {overture}]
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
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
54 Moby Thesaurus words for "prelude": Vorspiel, antecedence, antecedency, anteposition, anteriority, avant-propos, breakthrough, concert overture, curtain raiser, descant, dominion, dramatic overture, exordium, foreword, front matter, front position, frontispiece, innovation, introduce, introduction, leap, operatic overture, overture, postulate, preamble, precedence, precedency, preceding, precession, precursor, preface, preference, prefix, prefixation, prefixture, preliminary, premise, presupposition, priority, proem, prolegomena, prolegomenon, prolepsis, prologize, prologue, protasis, prothesis, superiority, the lead, top priority, urgency, vamp, verse, voluntary
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |