Overture
WordNet
noun
(1) Orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio
(2) A tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others
"She rejected his advances"
(3) Something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
"Training is a necessary preliminary to employment"
"Drinks were the overture to dinner"
WiktionaryText
Noun
- An approach made to initiate communication.
- The rebels responded to the government's war overture with scornful disregard.
- Usage note: Often used in plural.
- a musical introduction to a piece of music which may or may not be an integral part of that piece of music
- in law, especially in Church law, a motion placed before a legislative body, such as the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.