Other forms: starters
A starter is the small first course of a meal. Order a starter, skip the starter, starters and mains.
British menus divide into starters, mains and puddings; American ones say appetizer for the first course and entrée for the main, which catches British visitors out badly since entrée means the main course there and something else in France. A starter is also the motor that turns an engine over, and in baking a sourdough starter is the fermenting culture.
1nounstarterThe small first course of a meal.
“For a starter I'll have the soup, and then the fish.”
2nounmotorThe motor that turns an engine over.
“The car won't start; I think the starter needs replacing.”
starter is a first course or a starting device.
Also accepted in games: appetizer
Middle English
stert
English
start
English, today
starter
Built from
From start + -er. start comes from Middle English stert. From Middle English stert, from the verb sterten (“to start, startle”). See below.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA