From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
introduction
n 1: the first section of a communication
2: the act of beginning something new; "they looked forward to
the debut of their new product line" [syn: debut, {first
appearance}, launching, unveiling, entry]
3: formally making a person known to another or to the public
[syn: presentation, intro]
4: a basic or elementary instructional text
5: a new proposal; "they resisted the introduction of
impractical alternatives"
6: the act of putting one thing into another [syn: insertion,
intromission]
7: the act of starting something for the first time;
introducing something new; "she looked forward to her
initiation as an adult"; "the foundation of a new
scientific society"; "he regards the fork as a modern
introduction" [syn: initiation, founding,
foundation, institution, origination, creation,
innovation, instauration]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Introduction \In`tro*duc"tion\, n. [L. introductio: cf. F.
introduction. See Introduce.]
[1913 Webster]
1. The act of introducing, or bringing to notice.
[1913 Webster]
2. The act of formally making persons known to each other; a
presentation or making known of one person to another by
name; as, the introduction of one stranger to another.
[1913 Webster]
3. That part of a book or discourse which introduces or leads
the way to the main subject, or part; preliminary; matter;
preface; proem; exordium.
[1913 Webster]
4. A formal and elaborate preliminary treatise; specifically,
a treatise introductory to other treatises, or to a course
of study; a guide; as, an introduction to English
literature.
[1913 Webster]