n.
Pronunciation: ' stär-t ə r
Function: noun
Date: 1622
1 : a person who initiates or sets going: as a : an official who gives the signal to begin a race b : one who dispatches vehicles
2 a : one that engages in a competition especially : a member of a starting lineup b : one that begins to engage in an activity or process
3 : one that causes something to begin operating: as a : a device for starting an engine especially : an electric motor used to start an internal combustion engine b : material containing microorganisms (as yeast) used to induce a desired fermentation
4 : something that is the beginning of a process, activity, or series especially : APPETIZER
– for starters : to begin with