1. Quizzes & Games
  2. Word of the Day
  3. Video
  4. New Words
 

overture


overture

noun

Definition of OVERTURE

a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event <the parade down Main Street served as the overture for a weekend of fun and festivities>
Related Words countdown, run-up [chiefly British]; lead-in; kickoff, start

Learn More About

Ask The Editor Videos

 
2014 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes
 
How the Months Got Their Names
 
Webster's Dictionary of 1864
 
Old-School Grammar
 
Schwa
 
That vs. Which
 
i.e. vs. e.g.
 
Longest Word in the Dictionary

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up overture? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Test Your Vocabulary
Take Our 10-Question Quiz
Name That Thing
Take our visual vocabulary quiz
Test Your Knowledge »
True or False?
A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing
Take It Now »
Spell It
The commonly misspelled words quiz
Hear It, Spell It »