Orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio.

Roget 415: music; concert; strain, tune, air; melody etc. 413; aria, arietta^†; piece of music [Fr.], work, number, opus; sonata; rondo, rondeau [Fr.]; pastorale, cavatina^†, roulade^†, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza; cadence; fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno [It], dithyramb; opera, operetta; oratorio; composition, movement; stave; passamezzo [It], toccata, Vorspiel [G.].    instrumental music; full score; minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra; concerted piece [Fr.], potpourri, capriccio.    vocal music, vocalism^†; chaunt, chant; psalm, psalmody; hymn; song etc. (poem) 597; canticle, canzonet^†, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo^†, solfeggio^†.    Lydian measures; slow music, slow movement; adagio etc. adv.; minuet; siren strains, soft music, lullaby; dump; dirge etc. (lament) 839; pibroch^†; martial music, march; dance music; waltz etc. (dance) 840.    solo, duet, duo, trio; quartet, quartett^†; septett^†; part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale; antiphon^†, antiphony; accompaniment, second, bass; score; bourdon^†, drone, morceau^†, terzetto^†.    composer etc. 413; musician etc. 416.    ... show more

Roget 763: offer, proffer, presentation, tender, bid, overture; proposal, proposition; motion, invitation; candidature; offering etc. (gift) 784.    ... show more

Roget 765: request, requisition; claim etc. (demand) 741; petition, suit, prayer; begging letter, round robin.    motion, overture, application, canvass, address, appeal, apostrophe; imprecation; rogation; proposal, proposition.    orison etc. (worship) 990; incantation etc. (spell) 993.    mendicancy; asking, begging etc. v.; postulation, solicitation, invitation, entreaty, importunity, supplication, instance, impetration^†, imploration^†, obsecration^†, obtestation^†, invocation, interpellation.    ... show more

Dutch: ouverture
Polish: uwertura

Something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows:
— Drinks were the overture to dinner.

synonyms: preliminary, prelude.

Roget 64: precursor, antecedent, precedent, predecessor; forerunner, vancourier^†, avant-coureur [Fr.], pioneer, prodrome^†, prodromos^†, prodromus^†, outrider; leader, bellwether; herald, harbinger; foreboding; dawn; avant-courier, avant-garde, bellmare^†, forelooper^†, foreloper^†, stalking-horse, voorlooper [Afrik.], voortrekker [Afrik.].    prelude, preamble, preface, prologue, foreword, avant-propos [Fr.], protasis^†, proemium^†, prolusion^†, proem, prolepsis [Gramm.], prolegomena, prefix, introduction; heading, frontispiece, groundwork; preparation etc. 673; overture, exordium [Lat.], symphony; premises.    prefigurement etc. 511; omen etc. 512.    ... show more

Polish: preludium, uwertura, przygrywka

A tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others.

synonyms: advance, approach, feeler.