starter

American  

[stahr-ter] / ˈstɑr tər /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of starter

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

Example Sentences

Teoscar Hernández snapped out of a dry spell against left handed-pitchers and the Dodgers helped settle starter Roki Sasaki during an 11-3 win over the Brewers.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

Neither team features a single starter that is even 30 years old, meaning the teams already running laps around the rest of the league are about to get even better.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

I mixed the levain—sourdough starter, water and flour—first thing in the morning and let it rise until late afternoon.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Tuchel admitted after the the last international break that the midfielder, who has not been a regular starter recently for Manchester City, is not guaranteed a spot on the plane.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Behind them, and out of sight, the official starter suddenly emerged from his shelter, holding a flag aloft.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• opener