I. Prop., the beginning, the warp of a web (rare): “non possum togam praetextam sperare, cum exordium pullum videam,” Quint. 5, 10, 71.—
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.—
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.—
