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starter

starter

7 1.9
A small dish served before the main course to begin a meal
  • noun
  • /ˈstɑrtər/
  • UK
: entrada
  • No, we just had some little starters dropped off as well.

This whole plate is just full of starters, including fried cheese.

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Examples

  • And this dish is usually served as a starter in Argentina.

  • At the fancy restaurant, the starter was a delectable smoked salmon dish that whetted our appetites.

  • For lunch, we usually order a starter each and share them.

    Blog text (27)

  • Would sir care for a starter?

    Trainspotting (1996)

  • They brought in the rest of our starters, the lobster sushi, the lobster salad, the lobster gazpacho with avocado.

  • For appetizers, we decided to order a refreshing salad as a starter for the meal.

  • They served a spicy shrimp cocktail as a starter, which everyone enjoyed before the main course.

Synonyms

appetizer
vsstarter
  • US
99 2.6

A small food or drink served before a main meal to make you hungry

is the first food course rather than including drinks
appy
vsstarter
  • Australian
1 9.9

A small starter dish served before the main meal in Australia and New Zealand

is the neutral widely used term rather than a regional informal name
light appetizer
vsstarter
1 3.2

A small not heavy dish served before the main meal to make you want to eat

is the broader first course term that may be heavier or richer
entrada
vsstarter
  • US
8.2

A small dish served before the main course to start a meal

is the general first course not limited to one language region

Compounds

non-starter
  • Informal
13 6.7

An idea or plan that has no chance of success

conversation starter
8 3.5

Something that makes people start talking, like a topic or object

self-starter
5 5.6

A person who starts tasks without being told

starter motor
  • Specialized
1 4.0

An electric motor that turns a car engine to start it

self-starter
  • Archaic
1 6.1

A motor that starts an engine by itself

kick starter
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A lever on a motorcycle you push with your foot to start the motor

How Filling

starter
  • UK
7 1.9

Surface Forms

starter singular
starters plural

Morphology

starter = start (transparent) = start + er

Food served to 'start' a meal; the relation to 'start' is literal and readily inferable as the first course.

Etymology

The word starter comes from the verb start ('to begin') plus -er ('thing that begins'). So a meal starter is the small dish that begins a meal and wakes your appetite before the main course.