starter

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: start=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

starter, n. 

•  One who, or that which, starts; as, a starter on a journey; the starter of a race.  [1913 Webster]
•  A dog that rouses game.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

starter, n.
1 a person or thing that starts.
2 an esp. automatic device for starting the engine of a motor vehicle etc.
3 a person giving the signal for the start of a race.
4 a horse or competitor starting in a race (a list of probable starters).
5 the first course of a meal.
6 the initial action etc.

Idiom

for starters sl. to start with. under starter's orders (of racehorses etc.) in a position to start a race and awaiting the starting-signal.