Lewis & Short

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exordĭum, ii, n. [exordior, I.].

  1. I. Prop., the beginning, the warp of a web (rare): non possum togam praetextam sperare, cum exordium pullum videam, Quint. 5, 10, 71.
  2. II. Transf., in gen., a beginning, commencement (the usual meaning; syn.: initium, principium, primordium): neve inde navis inchoandae exordium Coepisset, quae, etc., Enn. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 22, 34 (Trag. v. 282 ed. Vahl.): hujus quoque exordium mali, quoniam principium boni diximus, explicemus, Cic. Inv. 1, 3, 3; cf.: institutae rei publicae clarum ac tam omnibus notum, id. Rep. 2, 2: a qua totius vitae ducat exor dium, id. Fin. 5, 7, 18; cf.: a quibus tempo ribus scribendi capiat exordium, id. Leg. 1, 3, 8: paene ab exordio Urbis, Suet. Vesp. 8; id. Tib. 42: tertius (annus) a prima vigilia sumens exordium, Amm. 26, 1, 9.
    In plur.: rerum, Lucr. 2, 333; 3, 31; 4, 114; cf. Verg. E. 6, 33: priva animaï, Lucr. 3, 380: solis lunaeque, id. 5, 471: rationis, id. 1, 149: primae pugnae, Verg. A. 7, 40 et saep.
    1. B. In partic., of speech: saepe animadverti, summos oratores in dicendi exordio permoveri, Cic. de Or. 1, 27, 122: ergo ita nascetur exordium, id. Tusc. 1, 4 fin.
      As part of a speech or writing, the introduction, exordium, proëm, preface (syn.: prooemium, praefatio, prologus): exordium est principium orationis, per quod animus auditoris aut judicis constituitur vel apparatur ad audiendum, Auct. Her. 1, 3, 4; cf. Quint. 4, 1, 1 sq.: tum denique id, quod primum est dicendum, postremum soleo cogitare, quo utar exordio, Cic. de Or. 2, 77 fin.: proximus liber a prima parte, id est exordio incipiet, Quint. 3, 11, 28; 1, 12, 19: in exordio pro Milone, id. 9, 4, 133; 9, 4, 74 et saep.
      In plur., Quint. 11, 3, 161: quae prima exordia sumat? Verg. A. 4, 284.
      1. 2. Transf., a writing, treatise, in gen., Col. 5, 11, 13; 7, 5, 1; 7, 12, 1 al.