A proclamation of a marriage; a prelude of a play. In the latter sense more frequently in plural banes, now banns, n.

Proclamation or prologue of a play.

General attributive, similative, and objective, as prologue speaker, prologue writer, prologue race, etc.

A preliminary play, performed before the main play. Obsolete. rare.

A prelude, a precursor; (as a mass noun) material forming a precursor.