PRE'LUDE, noun [Low Latin proeludium, from proeludo; proe, before, and ludo, to play.] 1. A short flight of music, or irregular air played by a musician before he begins the piece to be played, or before a full concert. 2. Something introductory or that shows what is to follow; something preceding which bears some relation or resemblance to that which is to follow. The last Georgic was a good prelude to the Aeneis. 3. A forerunner; something which indicates a future event. PRELU'DE, verb transitive To introduce with a previous performance; to play before; as, to prelude a concert with a lively air. 1. To precede, as an introductory piece; as, a lively air preludes the concert. PRELU'DE, verb intransitive To serve as an introduction to.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI