ˈfōrˌwərd, ˈfȯr-, -_wərd; ˈfōəˌwə̄d, ˈfȯ(ə)ˌ-, -_wəd noun
Etymology: fore- + word; probably translation of German vorwort
: preface ; often : front matter likely to be of interest but not necessarily essential for the understanding of the text of a book and commonly written by someone other than the author of the text