prologue

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pro·logue

also pro·log (prō′lôg′, -lŏg′)
n.
1. An introduction or preface, especially a poem recited to introduce a play.
2. An introduction or introductory chapter, as to a novel.
3. An introductory act, event, or period.
[Middle English prolog, from Old French prologue, from Latin prologus, from Greek prologos : pro-, before; see pro-2 + logos, speech; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prologue

(ˈprəʊlɒɡ) or

prolog

n
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms)
a. the prefatory lines introducing a play or speech
b. the actor speaking these lines
2. a preliminary act or event
3. (Classical Music) (in early opera)
a. an introductory scene in which a narrator summarizes the main action of the work
b. a brief independent play preceding the opera, esp one in honour of a patron
vb, -logues, -loguing or -logued, -logs, -loging or -loged
(tr) to introduce or preface with or as if with a prologue
[C13: from Latin prologus, from Greek prologos, from pro-2 + logos discourse]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pro•logue

or pro•log

(ˈproʊ lɔg, -lɒg)

n., v. -logued, -logu•ing. n.
1. a preface or introductory part of a discourse, poem, or novel.
2.
a. an introductory speech or scene in a play or opera.
b. the person or persons who perform this.
3. anything that serves as a preamble or introduction.
v.t.
4. to introduce with or as if with a prologue.
[1250–1300; Middle English prolog(u)e (< Old French) < Latin prōlogus < Greek prólogos. See pro-2, -logue]
pro′logu•ist, pro′log•ist, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

prologue


Past participle: prologued
Gerund: prologuing

Imperative
prologue
prologue
Present
I prologue
you prologue
he/she/it prologues
we prologue
you prologue
they prologue
Preterite
I prologued
you prologued
he/she/it prologued
we prologued
you prologued
they prologued
Present Continuous
I am prologuing
you are prologuing
he/she/it is prologuing
we are prologuing
you are prologuing
they are prologuing
Present Perfect
I have prologued
you have prologued
he/she/it has prologued
we have prologued
you have prologued
they have prologued
Past Continuous
I was prologuing
you were prologuing
he/she/it was prologuing
we were prologuing
you were prologuing
they were prologuing
Past Perfect
I had prologued
you had prologued
he/she/it had prologued
we had prologued
you had prologued
they had prologued
Future
I will prologue
you will prologue
he/she/it will prologue
we will prologue
you will prologue
they will prologue
Future Perfect
I will have prologued
you will have prologued
he/she/it will have prologued
we will have prologued
you will have prologued
they will have prologued
Future Continuous
I will be prologuing
you will be prologuing
he/she/it will be prologuing
we will be prologuing
you will be prologuing
they will be prologuing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been prologuing
you have been prologuing
he/she/it has been prologuing
we have been prologuing
you have been prologuing
they have been prologuing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been prologuing
you will have been prologuing
he/she/it will have been prologuing
we will have been prologuing
you will have been prologuing
they will have been prologuing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been prologuing
you had been prologuing
he/she/it had been prologuing
we had been prologuing
you had been prologuing
they had been prologuing
Conditional
I would prologue
you would prologue
he/she/it would prologue
we would prologue
you would prologue
they would prologue
Past Conditional
I would have prologued
you would have prologued
he/she/it would have prologued
we would have prologued
you would have prologued
they would have prologued
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

prologue

An introductory section explaining what happens before the main action.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. prologue - an introduction to a play
introduction - the first section of a communication
dramatic composition, dramatic work - a play for performance on the stage or television or in a movie etc.
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

prologue

noun introduction, preliminary, prelude, preface, preamble, foreword, proem, exordium The prologue to the novel is written in the form of a newspaper account.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

prologue

noun
A short section of preliminary remarks:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَمْهيد، مُقَدِّمَه
prolog
prolog
prológus
formáli, aîfaraorî
prologas
prologs
prológ

prologue

prolog (US) [ˈprəʊlɒg] N (lit, fig) → prólogo m (to de)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prologue

[ˈprəʊlɒg] n → prologue m
the prologue to sth [+ novel, play] → le prologue à qch
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prologue

, (US) prolog
n → Prolog m; (of book) → Vorwort nt; (fig) → Vorspiel nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prologue

prolog (Am) [ˈprəʊlɒg] n → prologo
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

prologue

(ˈprəulog) noun
an introduction, especially to a play. proloog, voorwoord تَمْهيد، مُقَدِّمَه пролог prólogo prolog der Prolog prolog πρόλογος prólogo proloog مقدمه prologi prologue פֶּתָח-דָבָר प्रस्तावना prológus pengantar formáli, aðfaraorð prologo 序幕 프롤로그 prologas prologs prolog proloog innledning, forord, prolog prolog سر ليكنه prólogo prolog пролог prológ prolog uvod prolog, inledning บทนํา önsöz, giriş 開場白,序言 пролог ڈرامہ کا افتتاحيہ phần mở đầu 开场白,序言
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
In like manner I apprehend, some future historian (if any one shall do me the honour of imitating my manner) will, after much scratching his pate, bestow some good wishes on my memory, for having first established these several initial chapters; most of which, like modern prologues, may as properly be prefixed to any other book in this history as to that which they introduce, or indeed to any other history as to this.
I have heard of a dramatic writer who used to say, he would rather write a play than a prologue; in like manner, I think, I can with less pains write one of the books of this history than the prefatory chapter to each of them.
To say the truth, I believe many a hearty curse hath been devoted on the head of that author who first instituted the method of prefixing to his play that portion of matter which is called the prologue; and which at first was part of the piece itself, but of latter years hath had usually so little connexion with the drama before which it stands, that the prologue to one play might as well serve for any other.
Who furnished it with masks, or prologues, or increased the number of actors,--these and other similar details remain unknown.
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The four personages, after having reaped a rich reward of applause for their reverences, began, in the midst of profound silence, a prologue, which we gladly spare the reader.
Much ill-will would also have been required, not to comprehend, through the medium of the poetry of the prologue, that Labor was wedded to Merchandise, and Clergy to Nobility, and that the two happy couples possessed in common a magnificent golden dolphin, which they desired to adjudge to the fairest only.
Pelisson, his head leaning on his hand, was engaged in drawing out the plan of the prologue to the "Facheux," a comedy in three acts, which was to be put on the stage by Poquelin de Moliere, as D'Artagnan called him, or Coquelin de Voliere, as Porthos styled him.
Well, I was thinking a prologue would admirably suit your divertissement ."
If he struggled up from barbarism, and still more remotely from the lower Primates, his ideal should be to surpass man himself and reach Superman (see especially the Prologue).
View in context
All that I have told you so far forms the first part of the book and is called the prologue, which means really "before word" or explanation.
But although Chaucer takes his material from others, he tells the stories in his own way, and so makes them his own; and he never wrote anything more truly English in spirit than the prologue to the Canterbury Tales.
I answered by humming half to myself the lines from the prologue,--
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