<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a person or thing that starts.</li><li>a person who gives the signal to begin, as for a race, the running of a train, bus, elevator, etc.</li><li>a device that starts an internal-combustion engine without a need for cranking by hand.</li><li>a person or thing that starts in a race or contest: Only five starters finished the race.</li><li>Also called starter culture: a culture of bacteria used to start a particular fermentation, as in the manufacture of cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, etc.</li><li>Also called sourdough starter: a mixture of water and flour left to ferment over several days to create dough for sourdough bread.</li><li>Slang: a shill, as at a gaming table in a casino.</li><li>the card turned face up on the stack before the play, as in cribbage, crazy eights, and other card games.</li></ul><p><strong>Adjective</strong></p><ul><li>constituting a basis or beginning: a starter set of dishes; a starter home.</li></ul>