What does "starter" mean?
Someone who starts, or who starts something.
Starter
/ˈstɑɹ.tɚ/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone who starts, or who starts something.
- Grammar: starter is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: appetizer, accelerator, accessible, activation energy input.
- Useful contrasts: advanced, backup, benching.
- Usage evidence: Tomatoes may be served hot or cold, as a starter or as a side dish.
How to use "starter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "starter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "starter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "starter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "starter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "starter" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "appetizer" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "starter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone who starts, or who starts something.
"The most charitable view taken of them by their colleagues was that, as late starters on the journey away from their Labour past, they had not fully understood that the SDP intended to be something new and not just a Mark II Labour Party […]"
- 2 a culture containing yeast or bacteria that is used to start the process of fermentation or souring in making butter or cheese or dough wordnet
- 3 Someone who starts, or who starts something.; The person who starts a race by firing a gun or waving a flag.
- 4 a hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle wordnet
- 5 Someone who starts, or who starts something.; A starting pitcher.
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 an electric motor for starting an engine wordnet
- 7 Someone who starts, or who starts something.; A person employed to take new players to the first tee at suitable intervals, and to provide them with caddies and equipment.
- 8 food or drink to stimulate the appetite (usually served before a meal or as the first course) wordnet
- 9 Something that starts something.; An electric motor that starts an internal combustion engine.
- 10 any new participant in some activity wordnet
- 11 Something that starts something.; A device that initiates the flow of high voltage electricity in a fluorescent lamp.
- 12 the official who signals the beginning of a race or competition wordnet
- 13 Something that starts something.; A yeast culture, or a medium containing one, used to start a fermentation process.
- 14 a contestant in a team sport who is in the game at the beginning wordnet
- 15 Something with which to begin; a first property, etc.
"It's small, but it's a good starter house."
- 16 The first course of a meal, consisting of a small, usually savoury, dish.
- 17 A player in the lineup of players that a team fields at the beginning of a game.
"Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga wasn’t a starter at Fulham."
- 18 A dog that rouses game.
- 19 A short length of rope formerly used for casual chastisement in the Navy. British, historical
- 20 Ellipsis of starter signal. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"The colour-light signals admitting directly to the platforms and the inner starters (for short-length departures well up the platforms) are two-aspect, while those immediately beyond them are three-aspect, but elsewhere four-aspect signals have been installed in association with route indicators."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Tomatoes may be served hot or cold, as a starter or as a side dish."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "starter"?
Common synonyms include: appetizer, accelerator, accessible, activation energy input, antipasti, antipasto.
How do you use "starter" in a sentence?
Tomatoes may be served hot or cold, as a starter or as a side dish.
How do you pronounce "starter"?
Pronounced /ˈstɑɹ.tɚ/.
Etymology
From start + -er.