1. orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio (Freq. 2) • Hypernyms: music 2. something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows (Freq. 1) - training is a necessary preliminary to employment - drinks were the overture to dinner • Syn: preliminary, prelude • Derivationally related forms: prelude (for: prelude), preliminary (for: preliminary) • Hypernyms: origin, origination, inception 3. a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others (Freq. 1) - she rejected his advances • Syn: advance, approach, feeler • Derivationally related forms: approach (for: approach) • Hypernyms: suggestion, proposition, proffer
