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# starter

noun (a starter, starters)

«starter» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) A small dish eaten as the first part of a meal; in the US called an appetizer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#m1)
2. A person who starts a race, or a person or team that begins a game (not a substitute). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#m2)
3. A device that starts an engine. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#m3)
4. «For starters» (informal): to begin with; first of all. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#m4)
5. Something to start with: a starter pack, a conversation starter, a sourdough starter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#m5)

### In the lessons

In everyday life restaurants serve a starter, a main course and a dessert. In maths problems a three-course meal adds the prices. In sport the starter fires the gun; starters play from the beginning. In lessons a «starter» is the short warm-up activity at the start.

### Examples

- For a starter I'll have the tomato soup. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#x1)
- The starter costs $5, the main $12 and the pudding $4 — $21 in all. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#x2)
- The starter fired the gun and the race began. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#x3)
- He's a starter now, not a sub. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#x4)
- For starters, your room is a mess. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#x5)
- The car's starter is broken, so it won't start. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#x6)
- Our maths starter today was a times-table quiz. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/#x7)

### Note

In the US «appetizer» is more common for the dish; in the UK «starter». «Non-starter»: an idea with no chance of working.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «starter» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/starter/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«starter» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/starter.html) on Mova free.