starter

/ˈstɑrdər/

/ˈstɑtə/

Other forms: starters

Definitions of starter

1. noun

   a participant with no experience with an activity
   synonyms: entrant, fledgeling, fledgling, freshman, neophyte, newbie, newcomer

   types:

   enlistee, recruit

   any new member or supporter (as in the armed forces)

   type of:

   beginner, initiate, novice, tiro, tyro

   someone new to a field or activity
2. noun

   a hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle
   synonyms: crank

   types:

   crank handle, starting handle

   crank used to start an engine

   type of:

   hand tool

   a tool used with workers' hands
3. noun

   an electric motor for starting an engine
   synonyms: starter motor, starting motor

   types:

   kick start, kick starter

   a starter (as on a motorcycle) that is activated with the foot and the weight of the body

   self-starter

   an electric starting motor that automatically starts an internal-combustion engine

   type of:

   electric motor

   a motor that converts electricity to mechanical work
4. noun

   the official who signals the beginning of a race or competition
   synonyms: dispatcher

   type of:

   official

   someone who administers the rules of a game or sport
5. noun

   a contestant in a team sport who is in the game at the beginning
   types:

   starting pitcher

   (baseball) a pitcher who starts in a baseball game

   type of:

   contestant

   a person who participates in competitions
6. noun

   food or drink to stimulate the appetite (usually served before a meal or as the first course)
   synonyms: appetiser, appetizer

   types:

   antipasto

   a course of appetizers in an Italian meal

   canape

   an appetizer consisting usually of a thin slice of bread or toast spread with caviar or cheese or other savory food

   cocktail

   an appetizer served as a first course at a meal

   hors d'oeuvre

   a dish served as an appetizer before the main meal

   crudites

   raw vegetables cut into bite-sized strips and served with a dip

   fruit cocktail

   a mixture of sliced or diced fruits

   crab cocktail

   a cocktail of cold cooked crabmeat and a sauce

   shrimp cocktail

   a cocktail of cold cooked shrimp and a sauce

   celery stick

   celery stalks cut into small sticks

   carrot stick

   a stick of carrot eaten raw

   stuffed mushroom

   mushrooms stuffed with any of numerous mixtures of e.g. meats or nuts or seafood or spinach

   rollmops

   a pickled herring filet that has been rolled or wrapped around a pickle

   pigs in blankets

   small frankfurters wrapped in biscuit dough and baked

   type of:

   course

   part of a meal served at one time
7. noun

   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”

   type of:

   culture

   (biology) the growing of microorganisms in a nutrient medium (such as gelatin or agar)