Preface

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Preface \Pref"ace\, v. i.
     To make a preface. --Jer. Taylor.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Preface \Pref"ace\ (?; 48), n. [F. pr['e]face; cf. Sp. prefacio,
     prefacion, It. prefazio, prefazione; all fr. L. praefatio,
     fr. praefari to speak or say beforehand; prae before + fari,
     fatus, to speak. See {Fate}.]
     1. Something spoken as introductory to a discourse, or
        written as introductory to a book or essay; a proem; an
        introduction, or series of preliminary remarks.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              This superficial tale
              Is but a preface of her worthy praise. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Heaven's high behest no preface needs. --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (R. C. Ch.) The prelude or introduction to the canon of
        the Mass. --Addis & Arnold.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Proper preface} (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis. Ch.), a portion
        of the communion service, preceding the prayer of
        consecration, appointed for certain seasons.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Introduction; preliminary; preamble; proem; prelude;
          prologue.
          [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Preface \Pref"ace\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Prefaced}; p. pr. & vb.
     n. {Prefacing}.]
     To introduce by a preface; to give a preface to; as, to
     preface a book discourse.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  preface
       n : a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
           [syn: {foreword}, {prolusion}]
       v : furnish with a preface or introduction; "She always precedes
           her lectures with a joke"; "He prefaced his lecture with
           a critical remark about the institution" [syn: {precede},
            {premise}, {introduce}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  105 Moby Thesaurus words for "preface":
     acknowledgments, anteriority, avant-propos, back, back matter,
     bastard title, begin, bibliography, bold front, brave face,
     brave front, breakthrough, catch line, catchword, colophon,
     contents, contents page, copyright page, dedication, display,
     endleaf, endpaper, endsheet, errata, exordium, facade, face, facet,
     facia, flyleaf, folio, fore, fore edge, forefront, foreground,
     forehand, foreland, forepart, forequarter, foreside, foreword,
     front, front elevation, front man, front matter, front page,
     front view, frontage, frontal, frontier, frontispiece,
     half-title page, head, heading, imprint, index, innovation,
     inscription, introduce, introduction, lap, lead, leaf, leap,
     makeup, obverse, open, overture, page, postulate, preamble,
     precede, prefix, prefixture, preliminaries, preliminary, prelude,
     premise, presupposition, priority, proem, prolegomena,
     prolegomenon, prolepsis, prologize, prologue, proscenium, protasis,
     recto, reverso, running title, signature, subtitle,
     table of contents, tail, text, title, title page, trim size,
     type page, usher, verse, verso, voluntary, window dressing