prelude
/ˈpɹeɪl(j)uːd/ noun C1- An introductory or preliminary performance or event.
- A short, free-form piece of music, originally one serving as an introduction to a longer and more complex piece; later, starting with the Romantic period, generally a stand-alone piece.
- A standard module or library of subroutines and functions to be imported, generally by default, into a program.
- A forerunner to anything.
Plural preludes
From the library
The two ladies entered the drawing-room with that sort of official stiffness which preludes a formal communication.
The audience felt that a startling revelation was to follow this ominous prelude.
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