Teaser

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtiːzɚ/

Definitions

1. A brief snippet or preview intended to attract interest ; someone who provokes or annoys others by making playful or mocking remarks
2. A short extract or introduction designed to generate curiosity or anticipation ; an individual who teases or mocks others to provoke a reaction
3. An initial glimpse or sample that hints at further content ; a person who deliberately irritates or taunts others in a playful or teasing manner

Etymology: "Teaser" is a plain formation: the verb "tease" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who or that which teases. The suffix is an old one with a long pedigree, reaching English through Middle English "-er" and, before that, Old English "-ere" and Old French "-ier," which descend from the Latin "-arius." The verb it is built on has its own surprising history. "Tease" originally meant to comb or card wool, pulling and raising the fibres so they could be spun. Teasels, the prickly plants whose dried flower heads were used to raise the nap on cloth, gave the process its name. From that textile sense, the verb gradually came to mean any kind of teasing or pulling at something, and eventually the playful provoking we know today. "Teaser" therefore began as a term for a person or thing that teases, and the modern sense of a short preview clip grew naturally from the idea of drawing the audience in by provoking their curiosity.

Synonyms: tease, provocation, enticement, challenge, riddle

Antonyms: settlement, resolution, satisfaction, solution, answer