/klif"hang'euhr/ , n.
1. a melodramatic adventure serial in which each installment ends in suspense in order to interest the reader or viewer in the next installment.
2. a situation or contest of which the outcome is suspensefully uncertain up to the very last moment: The game was a cliff-hanger, but our team finally won.
Also, cliffhanger .
[ 1935-40, Amer. ]