overture
(noun)
noun
1. orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio
Definition categories: communication, music
2. something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
- drinks were the overture to dinner
Similar word(s): preliminary, prelude
Definition categories: event, inception, origin, origination
3. a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others
Similar word(s): advance, approach, feeler
Definition categories: communication, proffer, proposition, suggestion