'overture' definitions:

Definition of 'overture'

(from WordNet)
noun
Orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio
noun
Something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows; "training is a necessary preliminary to employment"; "drinks were the overture to dinner" [syn: preliminary, overture, prelude]
noun
A tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others; "she rejected his advances" [syn: overture, advance, approach, feeler]

Synonyms of 'overture'

From: Moby Thesaurus