ˈcurtain ˌraiser BrE AmE noun [countable]
an event such as a performance or sports event that happens before a more important one:
A local team are playing as a curtain raiser to the game between England and Italy.
ˈcurtain ˌraiser BrE AmE noun [countable]
an event such as a performance or sports event that happens before a more important one:
A local team are playing as a curtain raiser to the game between England and Italy.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012