plural setters
1
: a person or thing that determines or establishes something
As a teenager, she was a style setter for her younger sister. [=her younger sister copied her style]
world record setters [=people who set world records]
—often used in combinationI like to use the joke as a tone-setter for my speeches. [=use the joke to set the tone for my speeches]
2
: a large dog that has long ears and long, smooth hair
English/Irish setters
Cite this Entry
“Setter.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/setter. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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