- 1a person, horse, car, etc. that is in a race at the beginning Only 8 of the 28 starters completed the course. compare nonstarter
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- 2a person who gives the signal for a race to start the starter's gun
- 3a device used for starting the engine of a vehicle the starter button/switch a starter motor
- 4a person who begins doing a particular activity in the way mentioned He was a late starter in ballet (= older than most people when they start). a slow starter see self-starter
- 5(often used as an adjective) something that is intended to be used by someone who is starting to do something a starter home (= a small home for someone who is buying property for the first time) a starter kit/pack Idioms
used to emphasize the first of a list of reasons, opinions, etc., or to say what happens first There are a number of problems—for starters, where is the money coming from? The winners will be flown to Paris—and that's just for starters.
Check pronunciation: starter