Short for preliminary; a test, round, or match that comes before the main event.
Shortened form of 'preliminary', which comes from Latin 'prae-' (before) + 'limen' (threshold). This informal abbreviation became common in the 20th century in sports and academic contexts.
Prelims in boxing are where unknown fighters build their record—boxing fans joke that 'going the distance' in a prelim fight is different from surviving a main-event champion, because the caliber of competition is worlds apart!
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