[start.er] n (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; esp: 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; esp: an electric motor used to start an internal combustion engine b: material containing microorganisms used to induce a desired fermentation
4: something that is the beginning of a process, activity, or series; esp: appetizer -- for starters : to begin with