The term 'PRELIMINARY CONTEST' can be broken down into two words, 'PRELIMINARY' and 'CONTEST'. PRELIMINARY is an adjective meaning 'coming before something else in order to prepare for it', while CONTEST is a noun meaning 'a competition between people or teams to see who is the best at something'. Together, they refer to a competition that takes place before a larger event, usually to determine which participants will move on to the main event. The crossword solution for this term is 'HEAT', which refers to the intensity of the competition.