curtain-raiser

noun

cur·​tain-rais·​er ˈkər-tᵊn-ˌrā-zər 

1

: a short play usually of one scene that is presented before the main full-length drama

2

: a usually short preliminary to a main event

Synonyms

• overture
• preamble
• preliminary
• prelude
• prologue
• prolog
• warm-up

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1