Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An introduction or preface, especially a poem recited to introduce a play.
  • noun An introduction or introductory chapter, as to a novel.
  • noun An introductory act, event, or period.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To introduce with a formal prologue or preface; preface.
  • noun The preface or introduction to a discourse or performance; specifically, a discourse or poem spoken before a dramatic performance or play begins; hence, that which precedes or leads up to any act or event.
  • noun The speaker of a prologue on the stage.
  • noun Synonyms Preface, Preamble, etc. See introduction.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The preface or introduction to a discourse, poem, or performance; esp., a discourse or poem spoken before a dramatic performance.
  • noun rare One who delivers a prologue.
  • transitive verb rare To introduce with a formal preface, or prologue.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A speech or section used as an introduction, especially to a play or novel.
  • noun computing A component of a computer program that prepares the computer to execute a routine.
  • verb To introduce with a formal preface, or prologue.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an introduction to a play

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English prolog, from Old French prologue, from Latin prologus, from Greek prologos : pro-, before; see pro– + logos, speech; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French, from Latin prologus, from Ancient Greek πρόλογος

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Examples

Comments

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  • “Que yo sepa, nadie ha formulado hasta el ahora una teoría del prólogo. La omisión no debe afligirnos, ya que todos sabemos de qué se trata. El prólogo, en la triste mayoría de los casos, linda con la oratoria de sobremesa o con los panegíricos fúnebres y abunda en hipérboles irresponsables que la lectura incrédula acepta como convenciones del género. ... El prólogo, cuando son propicios los astros, no es una forma subalterna del brindis; es una especie lateral de la crítica�?. Jorge Luis Borges en PRÓLOGOS CON UN PRÓLOGO DE PRÓLOGOS.

    September 28, 2008

  • Non ho idea di ciò che carolinacc ha scritto, ma mi diverte il fatto che questa pagina possa diventare una raccolta di commenti in tutte le lingue possibili; se qualcuno capisce questo messaggio, stia al gioco!

    September 28, 2008

  • I think Prolagus is describing a play involving a fat (il fatto) raccoon (una raccolta) that speaks all languages (in tutte le lingue), and is searching desperately to understand the message (questo messagio) sent to it by a person named qualcuno.

    September 28, 2008

  • Um... it's a play that a review has been given of...maybe the comments have different meanings in different languages when the presenter is... something about seafood...?

    September 28, 2008

  • Sepertinya mereka keliru pengertiannya, sekurang-kurangnya dalam mendefinisikan 'pendahuluan' ataupun menjelaskan konsepnya secara terang bagi kami, pembaca-pembaca yang budiman. Namun koleksi bahasa terus berkembang, suatu hal yang lumayan menyenangkan.

    September 28, 2008

  • I was just going to say that...

    September 28, 2008

  • ...with knobs.

    September 28, 2008

  • Well, bilby is writing about a sacred serpent myth popular on the Indonesian island of sekurang-kurangnya. The serpent is called a pembaca-pembaca and anyone who looks into its eyes will turn into a menyenangkan (half lizard, half raccoon which is the connection to Pro's story).

    I think berkembang is misspelled however.

    September 28, 2008

  • It's spelled Chitty bang bang, chitty chitty bang bang in US English.

    September 28, 2008

  • ROSALIND. It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue; but it is no more unhandsome than to see the lord the prologue.

    (As You Like It)

    October 1, 2008