prelude

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   An introductory or preliminary performance or event.

   • Adam Schiff, a Democratic senator from California, called it a “very dangerous escalation and a prelude to potential conflict”.
2. 2

   A short, free-form piece of music, originally one serving as an introduction to a longer…

   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.

3. 3

   A standard module or library of subroutines and functions to be imported, generally by…

   A standard module or library of subroutines and functions to be imported, generally by default, into a program.

   • In the same way that Rust has a general prelude that brings certain types and functions into scope automatically, the std::io module has its own prelude of common types and functions you'll need when working with I/O.
4. ›+ 3 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      A forerunner to anything.

      • Swimmings of the head and intestinal pains seemed the prelude of dissolution.
   2. 5

      To introduce something, as a prelude.

   3. 6

      To play an introduction or prelude

      To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance.

      • The musicians preluded on their instruments.
      • We are preluding too largely, and must come at once to the point.

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