[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/preface/)

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# preface

noun (prefaces); verb (prefaces, prefaced, prefacing)

«preface» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A preface is a short introduction at the start of a book, where the writer explains why the book was written. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preface/#m1)
2. To preface something is to say or write something first, before the main part. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preface/#m2)

### In the lessons

the first pages of a tale book, where the writer speaks to the reader before the stories begin

### Examples

- Read the preface before you start the story. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preface/#x1)
- The writer's preface explains where the tales came from. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preface/#x2)
- She prefaced her speech with a joke. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preface/#x3)

### Note

nothing for maths

## In Jewish tradition

the first pages of a tale book, where the writer speaks to the reader before the stories begin

### Examples

- With English Translation, Preface, Explanatory Notes and Glossary, (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/preface/#x1)
- A Version with preface by M. ben J. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/preface/#x2)
- Source: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/SepherYetzirah (/Preface, /Introduction, /SepherYetzirah), fetched via index.php?action=render on 2026-10-17. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/preface/#x3)

### Note

nothing for maths

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «preface» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preface/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«preface» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/preface.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «preface» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/preface/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«preface» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/preface.html) on Mova free.