plural starters
1
: a player, horse, etc., that is in a game or race at its beginning
The team is playing only five regular starters.
2
: someone who gives the signal for a race to start
3
: a device that is used for starting an engine
The car's starter needs to be replaced.
4
: someone or something that starts an activity, process, etc.
He was a late starter in school. [=he started school later than most children]
The question was a good conversation starter.
He bought a starter kit for building a model airplane.
5
chiefly British
: appetizer
always used before a noun
—used to describe something small or basic that you get when you are doing something for the first time
She bought a starter piano for her daughter.
This small house would make a great starter home/house [=a first home] for a young couple.
Cite this Entry
“Starter.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/starter. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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