Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
loss leader \loss leader\ n. an article of merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers.
Syn: drawing card, loss leader, leader.
Wiktionary
n. (context marketing English) An item that is sold at or below cost in an effort to stimulate other profitable sales.
WordNet
n. a featured article of merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers [syn: drawing card, leader]
Wikipedia
A loss leader (also leader) is a pricing strategy where a product is sold at a price below its market cost to stimulate other sales of more profitable goods or services. With this sales promotion— marketing strategy, a "leader" is used as a related term and can mean any popular article, i.e., one sold at a normal price.
Usage examples of "loss leader".
When I ran this department he was always known as 'our loss leader.
Everything elsethe Dabo tables, the ordinary brothels and simpler pleasures of lifethat's all pretty much a loss leader to attract a wider range of customers.