1. A contestant in a team sport who is in the game at the beginning
   "The coach announced the starters for the championship game"
    
2. The official who signals the beginning of a race or competition
   "The starter fired the pistol and the runners took off";
   - dispatcher, despatcher [Brit]
    
3. Any new participant in some activity
   "As a starter in chess, she showed remarkable potential";
   - newcomer, fledgling, fledgeling, neophyte, freshman [N. Amer], newbie [informal], entrant, newb [non-standard], noob [non-standard], n00b [non-standard], shavetail [N. Amer, informal]
    
4. An electric motor for starting an engine
   "The car wouldn't start because of a faulty starter motor";
   - starter motor, starting motor
    
5. Food or drink to stimulate the appetite, usually served before a meal or as the first course
   "We ordered bruschetta as a starter";
   - appetizer, appetiser [Brit]
    
6. A hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle
   "He used the starter to start the old car's engine";
   - crank
    
7. A culture containing yeast or bacteria that is used to start the process of fermentation or souring in making butter or cheese or dough
   "to make sourdough you need a starter"

Derived forms: starters

Type of: beginner, contestant, course, culture, electric motor, hand tool, initiate, novice, official, rookie [informal], tiro, tyro

Part of: electrical system

Encyclopedia: Starter