prelude

• prælude (archaic)

From Middle French prélude (“singing to test a musical instrument”), from Medieval Latin preludium, from Latin praelūdere.[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛl(j)uːd/, /ˈpɹeɪl(j)uːd/, /ˈpɹiːluːd/

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prelude (plural preludes)

1. An introductory or preliminary performance or event.

   Synonym: preface

2. (music) 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. [from 1650s]

   Synonyms: intrada, overture

3. (computing) A standard module or library of subroutines and functions to be imported, generally by default, into a program.
4. (figuratively) A forerunner to anything.

prelude (third-person singular simple present preludes, present participle preluding, simple past and past participle preluded)

1. To introduce something, as a prelude.
2. To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance.
   • Sir Walter Scott

     The musicians preluded on their instruments.

   • Jeffrey

     We are preluding too largely, and must come at once to the point.

prelude

1. third-person singular present indicative of preludere

• puledre