‖ exordium
(ɛgˈzɔːdɪəm)
Pl. exordiums, exordia.
[L. exordium, f. exordīrī to begin, f. ex- + ordīrī to begin.]
The beginning of anything; esp. the introductory part of a discourse, treatise, etc.; ‘the proemial part of a composition’ (J.).
| [1531 Elyot Gov. i. xiv, Onely they lacke pleasaunt fourme of begynnyng, called in latin Exordium.] 1581 Marbeck Bk. of Notes 515 Saint Paule..doeth with a godly Exordium touch the arrogancie of the false Apostles. 1594 Drayton Idea 533 Some..With Flames and Lightnings their Exordiums paint. 1649 Selden Laws Eng. ii. Pref. (1739) 2, I shall consider them jointly, as in way of Exordium to the rest. 1736 West Let. in Gray's Poems (1775) 11 My poor little Eclogue..has been condemned..an exordium of about sixteen lines absolutely cut off. 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. iii, With this exordium..Nickleby took a newspaper from his pocket. 1850 Grote Greece ii. lvii. (1862) V. 133 Alkibiades started up forthwith—his impatience breaking loose from the formalities of an exordium. |