o·ver·ture

[oh-ver-cher, -choor] noun, verb, o·ver·tured, o·ver·tur·ing.
noun
1.
an opening or initiating move toward negotiations, a new relationship, an agreement, etc.; a formal or informal proposal or offer: overtures of peace; a shy man who rarely made overtures of friendship.
2.
Music.
a.
an orchestral composition forming the prelude or introduction to an opera, oratorio, etc.
b.
an independent piece of similar character.
3.
an introductory part, as of a poem; prelude; prologue.
4.
a.
the action of an ecclesiastical court in submitting a question or proposal to presbyteries.
b.
the proposal or question so submitted.
verb (used with object)
5.
to submit as an overture or proposal: to overture conditions for a ceasefire.
6.
to make an overture or proposal to: to overture one's adversary through a neutral party.
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Origin:
1300–50; Middle English < Old French; see overt, -ure; doublet of aperture

Synonyms
1. See proposal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
overture (ˈəʊvəˌtjʊə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  music
 a.  a piece of orchestral music containing contrasting sections that is played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio, often containing the main musical themes of the work
 b.  a similar piece preceding the performance of a play
 c.  Also called: concert overture a one-movement orchestral piece, usually having a descriptive or evocative title
 d.  a short piece in three movements (French overture or Italian overture) common in the 17th and 18th centuries
2.  (often plural) a proposal, act, or gesture initiating a relationship, negotiation, etc
3.  something that introduces what follows
 
—vb
4.  to make or present an overture to
5.  to introduce with an overture
 
[C14: via Old French, from Late Latin apertūra opening, from Latin aperīre to open; see overt]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

overture
mid-13c., "an introductory proposal," from O.Fr. overture "opening, proposal," from L. apertura "opening," from aperire "to open, uncover" (see overt). Orchestral sense first recorded in English 1660s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

overture definition


A piece of music for instruments alone, written as an introduction to a longer work, such as an opera, an oratorio, or a musical comedy.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
The first of these is the overture, where nothing happens except the music.
Overture is an object-oriented code framework for solving partial differential equations.
Nothing could be more ill-bred than to treat curtly any overture made in spontaneous friendliness.
The overture, practically program music, greets the arrival of the returned captives with a rush of fanfares.
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