OVERTURE


Meaning of OVERTURE in English

/ ˈəʊvətʃʊə(r); -tjʊə(r); NAmE ˈoʊvərtʃər; -tʃʊr/ noun

1.

a piece of music written as an introduction to an opera or a ballet :

Prokofiev's overture to 'Romeo and Juliet'

2.

[ usually pl. ] overture (to sb) a suggestion or an action by which sb tries to make friends, start a business relationship, have discussions, etc. with sb else :

He began making overtures to a number of merchant banks.

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WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English (in the sense aperture ): from Old French , from Latin apertura aperture.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.