front matter

SEE SYNONYMS FOR front matter ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Printing.

all material in a book that precedes the text proper, as the title page, copyright page, table of contents, dedication, and preface.

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anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
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Also called preliminaries.
Compare back matter.

Origin of front matter

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Words nearby front matter

front line, front list, front load, front loader, front man, front matter, front money, front nine, front of house, front office, front projection
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to front matter

introduction, preface, preliminary, preliminaries, prelims

British Dictionary definitions for front matter

front matter

noun

another name for prelims (def. 1)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012