prelude

Meanings

1. An introductory or preliminary performance or event.
2. 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. A standard module or library of subroutines and functions to be imported, generally by default, into a program.
4. A forerunner to anything.

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

Etymology

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