noun
also ap·pe·tis·er ˈapəˌtīzə(r)
( -s )
1. : a food or drink that stimulates the appetite and is usually served before a meal (as a canapé, hors d'oeuvre, aperitif, or cocktail)
2. : something that stimulates a desire for more
the street events are but an appetizer to the carnival — Louise Gerdts
a mere appetizer for the more formidable pleasure of reading the whole — New Yorker
the preliminaries were an effective appetizer for the main bout