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preludio

prelude

noun preh-LOO-dyoh Rare

Origin: Medieval Latin praeludium, from prae- 'before' + ludere 'to play'

Also means

prologue

Usage Note

Preludio is used both in music (a short introductory piece) and figuratively ('a prelude to something'). The plural is preludi (regular -io/-i). In Italian Romantic music, Chopin's Preludi are well known. Figuratively: il preludio di una crisi ('the prelude to a crisis').

Examples

"Il pianista ha suonato un preludio di Chopin."

Natural Translation

The pianist played a Chopin prelude.

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