proem

English

Etymology

From Latin prooemium, from Ancient Greek προοίμιον (prooímion).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹəʊ.əm/
• Rhymes: -əʊəm

Noun

proem (plural proems)

1. An introduction, preface or preamble.

   Synonyms: foretale, prologue; see also Thesaurus:foreword

   • 1731, Jonathan Swift, On the Death of Dr. Swift:

     Thus much may serve by way of proem; / Proceed we therefore to our poem.

   • 1836, William Johns, An Essay on the Interpretation of the Proem to John's Gospel, with an Appendix, page 10:

     The natural coherence and connection of the proem with the account of our Saviour's ministry, lead us to adopt this explication, which is pertinent and consistent.

   • 2010, Christopher Nappa, Reading After Actium: Vergil's Georgics, Octavian, and Rome, University of Michigan Press (→ISBN), page 28:

     On our first reading, we obviously cannot know of the role that Aristaeus will play at the end of the work, but when we do encounter him there, we should remember his appearance in the proem: a clear link between the georgic and the pastoral […]

Related terms

• proemial

Anagrams

• EPROM, Premo, Prome, moper, remop