[ 'prɛlju:d ]
■ noun
1》 an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.
2》 a piece of music serving as an introduction, e.g. to an act of an opera or to a suite or a fugue.
↘the introductory part of a poem or other literary work.
■ verb serve as a ~ or introduction to.
Derivatives
preludial adjective
Origin
C16: from Fr. prélude , from med. L. praeludium , from L. praeludere 'play beforehand'.