N. precursor, antecedent, precedent, predecessor, forerunner, vancourier, avant-coureur, pioneer, prodrome|, prodromos, prodromus, outrider, leader, bellwether, herald, harbinger, foreboding, dawn, avant-courier, avant-garde, bellmare, forelooper, foreloper, stalking-horse, voorlooper, voortrekker, prelude, preamble, preface, prologue, foreword, avant-propos, protasis, proemium, prolusion, proem, prolepsis, prolegomena, prefix, introduction, heading, frontispiece, groundwork, preparation, overture, exordium, symphony, premises, prefigurement, omen

Adj. precursory, prelusive, prelusory, preludious, proemial, introductory, prefatory, prodromous, inaugural, preliminary, precedent

Phr. "a precedent embalms a principle"

N. pretext, pretense, pretension, plea|, allegation, advocation, ostensible motive, ostensible ground, ostensible reason, phony reason, excuse, subterfuge, color, gloss, guise, cover, loop hole, starting hole, how to creep out of, salvo, come off, way of escape, handle, peg to hang on, room locus standi, stalking-horse, cheval de bataille, cue, pretense, put off, dust thrown in the eyes, blind, moonshine, mere pretext, shallow pretext, lame excuse, lame apology, tub to a whale, false plea, sour grapes, makeshift, shift, white lie, special pleading, soft sawder

V. pretend, plead, allege, shelter oneself under the plea of, excuse, lend a color to, furnish a handle, make a pretext of, make a handle of, use as a plea, take one's stand upon, make capital out of, pretend

Adj. ostensibly, alleged, apologetic, pretended

Adv. ostensibly, under color, under the plea, under the pretense of, under the guise of, 3, objects of volition