The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PROLOGUE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
P
R
O
L
O
G
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E
More clues leading to the result PROLOGUE
- Introduction for record by rising European group
- Start to play old record when Prudence is around
- Fresh role — go up giving introduction to play
- Villain receiving old-fashioned look after page’s introduction
- Professional record with upper-class English in introduction
- Foreword for the record, we hear
- Introduction first character’s forgotten in role group played
- What comes before play in pool — urge to swim
- After shot from pistol, Ovett leaps in front in false start
- Old line included by villain, under pressure, in opening speech
Buddy explains!
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PROLOGUE mean?
PROLOGUE noun- A speech or section used as an introduction, especially to a play or novel.
- One who delivers a prologue.
- A component of a computer program that prepares the computer to execute a routine.
- An individual time trial before a stage race, used to determine which rider wears the leader's jersey on the first stage.
- To introduce with a formal preface, or prologue.