curtain raiser
noun
a short play preceding a main play.
any preliminary event or performance.
Origin of curtain raiser
First recorded in 1885–90
Words nearby curtain raiser
curtail step,
curtain,
curtain call,
curtain lecture,
curtain line,
curtain raiser,
curtain shutter,
curtain speech,
curtain time,
curtain wall,
curtain-raiser
Example sentences from the Web for curtain-raiser
British Dictionary definitions for curtain-raiser
curtain-raiser
noun
theatre
a short dramatic piece presented before the main play
any preliminary event
the debate was a curtain-raiser to the election
Idioms and Phrases with curtain-raiser
curtain raiser
Preliminary event, as in This limited attack on the chairman is just a curtain raiser for the concerted effort to oust him. This term literally refers to a short play or skit presented before the main theatrical production. It began to be transferred to other preliminaries about 1940.