prelude
/pˈɹeɪˌluːd/PRAY-lood
/pˈɹeɪˌlud/PRAY-lood
Meaninga playing before
Common meaning: an introduction
- prebefore
- ludto play, mockLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1083 · scan
‘before’ + ‘to play, mock’ → prelude
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin lūdō ‘to play, mock’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry lūdō, p. 1083 · dictionary scan
Roots
- lūdō, lūsum Latin “to play, mock”
Related words
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