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

He made 28 appearances in Serie A for Atalanta last season, establishing himself as a regular starter for the Italian club.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

A sausage-and-pepper meal starter eliminates most of the chopping; canned tomatoes provide the sauce’s backbone; and a few spoonfuls of prepared sun-dried tomato pesto pull everything into focus.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

Pirates starter Bubba Chandler, meanwhile, exited after four innings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

The U.S. housing market is undersupplied, particularly when it comes to starter homes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

He didn’t say it, but this was part of the evaluation to see who would be a starter.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds

The Chargers’ starters on defense, without safety Derwin James Jr. and outside linebacker Khalil Mack, did its part against the Rams’ second-stringers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Laying out his call, Flight told clients in a note published on Tuesday that, for starters, “incremental central bank credibility concerns are overstated.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

The easiest way to build your own meal starters is not to begin by asking what you should freeze.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

Bennett appeared far more confident than he did against the Chiefs, when the Rams went three-and-out on his first series against many defensive starters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

And then our five starters, including me, ran out to the center circle to go to battle against Wellpinit’s five.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Related Words

• opener