overture meaning and definition

OVERTURE noun

Definition of overture (noun)

1. orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio
2. something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
   • "training is a necessary preliminary to employment"; "drinks were the overture to dinner"
   • synonyms: preliminary, prelude
3. a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others
   • "she rejected his advances"
   • synonyms: advance, approach, feeler