starter

American  

[stahr-ter] / ˈstɑr tər /

noun

• starters
  plural

1. a person or thing that starts.

2. a person who gives the signal to begin, as for a race, the running of a train, bus, elevator, etc.

3. a device that starts an internal-combustion engine without a need for cranking by hand.

4. a person or thing that starts in a race or contest.

   Only five starters finished the race.

5. Also called starter culture. a culture of bacteria used to start a particular fermentation, as in the manufacture of cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, etc.

6. Also called sourdough starter.

   1. a mixture of water and flour left to ferment over several days to create dough for sourdough bread.

   2. sourdough.

7. Slang. a shill, as at a gaming table in a casino.

8. the card turned face up on the stack before the play, as in cribbage, crazy eights, and other card games.

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adjective

1. constituting a basis or beginning.

   a starter set of dishes; a starter home.

idioms

1. for starters, as the first step or part; initially; first.

   We will have soup for starters. For starters, he doesn't even know how to drive.

starter British  

/ ˈstɑːtə /

noun

1. a device for starting an internal-combustion engine, usually consisting of a powerful electric motor that engages with the flywheel Formerly called self-starter

2. a person who organizes the timely departure of buses, trains, etc

3. a person who supervises and signals the start of a race

4. a competitor who starts in a race or contest

5. informal an acceptable or practicable proposition, plan, idea, etc

6. informal a person who is willing to engage in a particular activity

7. a culture of bacteria used to start fermentation, as in making cheese or yogurt

8. the first course of a meal

9. (modifier) designed to be used by a novice

   a starter kit

10. slang in the first place

11. 1. (of horses in a race) awaiting the start signal

    2. (of a person) eager or ready to begin

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• starters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of starter

First recorded in 1530–40; start + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

starter starters

And when I emailed a wedding photographer whose Instagram feed seemed perfectly curated to how I envision our special day, he quoted me $30,000 for a starter package.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Rogers made 20 appearances, both as a starter and substitute, scoring once as the Tangerines were relegated to League One after appointing a third manager in April.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

In the 2018 national championship, Saban produced one of college football’s immortal moments by yanking starter Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa, who led an Alabama comeback and threw the winning touchdown in overtime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

The starter was Guess, who took more than 90% of the snaps on a night when he finished 16 for 22 for 163 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Stormville’s number eight, Rifky Highmore, was the starting runner, while Boggs Ferry had La Sala Sparrow as their starter.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

The union said most Royal Mail workers leaving the company were believed to be new starters on part-time contracts, but also said there had been an increase in staff on legacy contracts departing.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

“It certainly makes life easier for the team, the bullpen, if the starters are good,” said manager Dave Roberts during a conference call.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

In an age of short stints on the mound, the franchise hopes that trusting its starters to go long can lead them to a first championship since 2009.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

You hardly need reminding of the backdrop that contributed to thwarting many of his recent, many predecessors: a persistently sclerotic economy and a persistently turbulent international picture, for starters.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

He was well muscled, handsome, and proud in his uniform, but Ben saw immediately that Philip was the poorest athlete among last year’s starters.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• opener