Early round (6 letters)

{ Answer }

PRELIM

{ Related Clues }

Qualifier
Heat, for short
Heat, of a sort
Bout before the biggie
Early game in a tournament
Qualifying round, informally
Event before the main event
Main-event warm-up

{ Tags }

before, biggie, bout, early, event, game, heat, informally, main, prelim, qualifier, qualifying, round, short, sort, tournament, up, warm

{ Notes }

The answer PRELIM is rarely seen, appearing only about once every 1200 puzzles.

{ Definition }

PRELIM as a noun:

1. (preliminary, prelim) = a minor match preceding the main event

2. (preliminary examination, preliminary exam, prelim) = an examination taken by graduate students to determine their fitness to continue