In'tro-dūc'tion, n.

n. [Lat. introductio, Fr. introduction, Sp. introduccion, It. introduzione, Pr. en-troduction. See supra.]

1. The act of introducing, or bringing to notice.
2. The act of making persons known to each other; as, the introduction of one stranger to another.
3. That part of a book or discourse which introduces or leads the way to the main thoughts; preliminary matter.
4. Hence, a formal and elaborate preliminary treatise; specifically, a treatise introductory to other treatises, or to a course of study, as to chemistry, hermeneutics, &c.; that part of theological science which treats of the authorship of any part or the whole of the sacred Scriptures.

The various points . . . constitute a distinct branch of theological science, to which, in recent times, the title of introduction has been appropriated. Lee.