starter

[ stahr-ter ]

/ ˈstɑr tər /

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See synonyms for: starter / starters on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that starts.

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

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

a person or thing that starts in a race or contest: Only five starters finished the race.

Also called start·er cul·ture

[stahr-ter kuhl-cher] /ˈstɑr tər ˌkʌl tʃər/ . a culture of bacteria used to start a particular fermentation, as in the manufacture of cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, etc.See also mother².

Also called sour·dough star·ter

[souuhr-doh stahr-ter, sou-er-] /ˈsaʊərˌdoʊ ˌstɑr tər, ˈsaʊ ər-/ .

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

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

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

adjective

constituting a basis or beginning: a starter set of dishes; a starter home.

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Idioms about starter

for starters, Informal. as the first step or part; initially; first: We will have soup for starters. For starters, he doesn't even know how to drive.

Origin of starter

First recorded in 1530–40; start + -er¹

Words nearby starter

star-struck, star-studded, star system, start, start codon, starter, starter home, starters, start from scratch, star thistle, start in

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use starter in a sentence

For starters, the filter and the question of how effective it might potentially be for both the wearer and the people around them.
LG is releasing a ‘wearable air purifier’|Brian Heater|August 27, 2020|TechCrunch
The final starter, Betnijah Laney, has only improved since we featured her as a breakout star.
There’s No WNBA All-Star Game This Year, But We Picked The Rosters Anyway|Howard Megdal|August 26, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
For starters, several experts told us, women were increasingly likely to join the workforce, particularly in public sector jobs like teaching, which may have reinforced their support for a robust government safety net.
Women Won The Right To Vote 100 Years Ago. They Didn’t Start Voting Differently From Men Until 1980.|Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux|August 19, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Without southpaws’ hidden advantage, about two out of three left-handed starters would likely be toiling in the bullpen, or in the minor leagues.
What Really Gives Left-Handed Pitchers Their Edge?|Guy Molyneux|August 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

He started five games as the team’s first-ever walk-on true freshman starter, but then an injury knocked him out of the lineup.
When Baker Mayfield Was a Walk-On|Nick Fouriezos|August 14, 2020|Ozy
Same-sex marriage, a political non-starter only a few years ago, now enjoys solid majority support in national polls.
Red America’s Anti-Gay Backlash|Jonathan Rauch|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Conversation starter: will that Financial Times piece about his data kill our deft and dashingly accented Prince Oberyn?
How to Think About Economic Inequality After Thomas Piketty|Jedediah Purdy|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They only have one brain, and jeopardizing its safety unnecessarily is a complete non-starter for me.
Why I’ll Never Let My Kids Play Football|Russell Saunders|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are vinous, herbaceous, and reminiscent of sourdough yeast starter.
Wine Snobs, There’s a Beer for You|Jordan Salcito|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This was always going to be a non-starter because Democrats control the Senate as well as the White House.
Paralyzed by Polarization|John Avlon|October 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Kick a few uh his ribs out uh place for a starter," Piegan coolly advised.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
So it happened that this was the main thought in his mind when the starter's gong sounded and the racers shot away down the track.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
He lifted his cap, entered the car, touched the starter and in a moment the car whisked away.
Ruth Fielding At College|Alice B. Emerson
"That's only a starter—something down to prove good faith, you understand," whispered the stranger.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
Advance spark lever about half way and throttle lever about one-quarter way and depress starter pedal.
Marvel Carbureter and Heat Control|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for starter

starter

/ (ˈstɑːtə) /

noun

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

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

a person who supervises and signals the start of a race

a competitor who starts in a race or contest

informal, mainly Australian and NZ an acceptable or practicable proposition, plan, idea, etc

Australian and NZ informal a person who is willing to engage in a particular activity

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

mainly British the first course of a meal

(modifier) designed to be used by a novicea starter kit

for starters slang in the first place

under starter's orders

(of horses in a race) awaiting the start signal
(of a person) eager or ready to begin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

starter

Idioms about starter

Origin of starter

Words nearby starter

Words related to starter

How to use starter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for starter