prelims

noun

1. (form-of, plural)plural of prelim
2. The preliminary front matter of a book; all content preceding the main text or work itself.

   “A book usually consists of three sections: preliminary matter (also called prelims or front matter), the main text, and end matter. All books have some kind of prelims, all have a text, and most works of non-fiction have end matter.”

3. (collective, uncountable)Preliminary examinations taken as a whole, as sat by an individual or year group.

   “Are you done with prelims yet?”