teaser

American  

[tee-zer] / ˈti zər /

noun

1. a person or thing that teases.

2. an advertisement that lures customers or clients by offering a bonus, gift, or the like.

3. 1. Also called tease,.  Also called teaser ad.  Television. a short, impressionistic image, promotional video, or audio spot that reveals very little about the product or company being advertised and is presented to generate interest in advance of the primary advertising campaign.

   2. Also called teaser trailer,.  Also called trailer tease.  Movies. a short, edited promotional video to generate interest in an upcoming film and announce its release date: a teaser is a forerunner to full-length trailers for the film that feature highlights and are shown closer to the film’s distribution date.

   3. Also called bumper tease.  Television. bumper.

4. Informal. tease.

5. Theater. a drapery or flat piece across the top of the proscenium arch that masks the flies and that, together with the tormentors, forms a frame for the stage opening.

6. Printing, Journalism. kicker.

---

teaser British  

/ ˈtiːzə /

noun

1. a person who teases

2. a preliminary advertisement in a campaign that attracts attention by making people curious to know what product is being advertised

3. a difficult question

4. vet science a vasectomized male animal, such as an ox, used to detect oestrus in females

---

Etymology

Origin of teaser

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English teser “machine for teasing wool”; tease, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Viewers have been sharing their theories on social media after a teaser released on Christmas Day showed a figure wearing a red cloak, in a departure from the usual green worn by the traitors.

From BBC

Even its two-minute teaser trailer doesn't shed much light on the plot.

From BBC

The teaser ends with the words “Steve Rogers will return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’” appearing on the screen before showing a countdown to the movie’s release.

From Los Angeles Times

They’ve dissected every shot of the trailer and teasers, they’ve planned viewing parties to watch both new releases — the question of overexposure is a nonstarter to them.

From Los Angeles Times

“Forensic Files stories” are told in a taut 22 minutes without teasers and repetition.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conundrum
• enigma
• problem
• question
• riddle
• secrecy
• subtlety
• thriller