noun
1 short piece of music
ADJECTIVE
▪ instrumental , orchestral
▪
the orchestral ~ to the cantata
▪ organ , piano
▪ brief
▪ opening
▪
the opening orchestral ~
▪ B major , D minor , etc.
VERB + PRELUDE
▪ open with
▪
‘The Magnificat’ opens with a long organ ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ for
▪
seven ~s for piano
▪ ~ to
▪
The theme recalls the ~ to Wagner's ‘Lohengrin’.
2 sth that happens before a more important event
ADJECTIVE
▪ essential , inevitable , necessary
▪
a necessary ~ to privatization
VERB + PRELUDE
▪ serve as
▪
This analysis will serve as a ~ to a more extended examination.
▪ consider sth , see sth as
PREPOSITION
▪ as a ~
▪
events held as a ~ to the Christmas festivities
▪ ~ for
▪
the ~ for the battles ahead
▪ ~ to
▪
He considered the strikes a ~ to the great socialist revolution.
PHRASES
▪ a ~ to war
▪
the fear that any peace was merely a ~ to war
▪ be but a ~ to sth , be just a ~ to sth , be merely a ~ to sth , be only a ~ to sth
▪
Every life is but a ~ to a death.
▪
This is just a ~ to a larger attack.