starter
gb/stˈɑɹtɚ/ us/stˈɑɹtɚ/
B1
Inglés
~ 6300
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B1
entity
1
small dish before main course
A small dish you eat before the main part of a meal.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] has [food] as a starter
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'starter' with 'appetizer'. In British English 'starter' is more common, while in American English 'appetizer' is usually used. Also, a 'starter' is only the first course of a meal, not a snack you eat at any time.
Sinónimos
appetizer (More common in American English; same meaning as the first small dish before the main course.)
|
first course (Slightly more formal; emphasizes its position in the order of dishes.)
Antónimos
dessert (The sweet course usually served at the end of the meal, opposite in position to the starter.)
Colocaciones
order a starter
|choose a starter
|as a starter
|starter and main
|starter menu
|soup starter
Temas
food
|daily life
|restaurants
|food_drink
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- For my starter, I'll have the tomato soup.
- The set menu includes a starter, a main course, and a dessert.
- We shared a salad as a starter before the pasta arrived.
- The restaurant offers a vegetarian starter on every menu.
- Her prawn starter was beautifully presented but a little salty.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I would like the salad as a starter.
- We had bread and olives for a starter.
- This restaurant has many fish starters.
- He skipped the starter and went straight to the main dish.
Sustantivo
B1
entity
2
team player who begins game
A team player who plays at the beginning of a game, not on the bench.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is a starter for [team]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes think 'starter' in sports means a beginner, but it actually means a player good enough to begin the game. 'Beginner' is the word for someone who is new to a sport.
Sinónimos
regular (Common in sports talk; emphasizes that the player usually starts games, not just this one.)
|
first-team player (Used especially in football (soccer); highlights that the player is in the top team rather than the reserves.)
Antónimos
substitute (A player who does not start the game and only comes on if needed, opposite role to a starter.)
Colocaciones
a regular starter
|a first-team starter
|become a starter
|full-time starter
|a starter for the team
|win a place as a starter
Temas
sports
Ejemplos
- She became a regular starter for the national team last season.
- The coach announced that three usual starters would be rested tonight.
- He is expected to be the starting point guard, not just a bench starter.
- After a strong preseason, he earned a spot as a starter for the opening game.
- The team fielded five new starters after last year's transfers.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He is a starter on the basketball team.
- She wants to be a starter, not a substitute.
- Three starters were injured and could not play.
- He trained hard and became a starter this year.
unknown
B2
entity
3
thing or person that starts something
A person or thing that helps something start.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is a starter for [activity or process]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes translate directly from their language and use 'starter' where 'beginning' or 'introduction' would be better. Use 'starter' mainly when something is designed to help an activity begin, such as a 'conversation starter' or a 'starter activity'.
Sinónimos
trigger (More abstract and often used for events or reactions; 'starter' is more concrete or informal.)
|
icebreaker (Used especially for activities that help people begin talking; a type of starter in social or class situations.)
Antónimos
stopper (Something that stops or prevents progress, opposite to something that starts it.)
Colocaciones
conversation starter
|ice-breaker starter
|class starter activity
|starter project
|starter question
|warm-up starter
Temas
general
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The teacher used a short quiz as a starter to review last week's lesson.
- That funny video was a good conversation starter at the party.
- The workshop always begins with a light starter activity to relax people.
- They designed a simple starter exercise to introduce the main topic.
- A personal story can be a powerful starter for a serious discussion.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The teacher gave a small starter activity.
- This question is a good starter for our talk.
- He told a joke as a starter before the meeting.
- We did a short game as a starter in class.
Sustantivo
technical
B2
entity
4
device that starts an engine
The part of a car or machine that makes the engine begin to run.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] turns the key and the starter engages
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse the 'starter' with the 'ignition' or the key itself. The starter is the device that turns the engine, not the part where you put the key.
Sinónimos
starter motor (More specific technical term for the electric motor itself; 'starter' can refer to the motor or the starting system.)
Antónimos
kill switch (A device used to stop an engine quickly, opposite function to a starter.)
Colocaciones
car starter
|faulty starter
|starter motor
|starter button
|starter relay
|replace the starter
Temas
technology
|transport
|transportation
Ejemplos
- The car would not start because the starter had burned out.
- A clicking noise can be a sign of a weak starter.
- Modern cars often have a push-button starter instead of a key.
- The mechanic said the starter motor needs to be replaced immediately.
- Cold weather can put extra strain on the starter and the battery.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My car will not start because the starter is broken.
- The mechanic changed the starter in my car.
- He pressed the starter button to turn on the engine.
- If the starter is weak, the engine turns very slowly.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
5
fermenting mix for bread or food
A wet mix with yeast or bacteria that you keep and use to make bread or other foods rise and ferment.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] feeds the starter with [ingredient]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse 'starter' with 'yeast'. A starter is usually a mix of flour and water that contains yeast or bacteria and is kept alive over time, while yeast is just the microorganism itself.
Sinónimos
starter culture (More technical; used for food science and many fermented products, not only bread.)
|
levain (A French term used by bakers; usually refers specifically to a sourdough starter.)
Colocaciones
sourdough starter
|keep the starter alive
|feed the starter
|starter culture
|active starter
|discard some starter
Temas
cooking
|food
|food_drink
|science
Ejemplos
- She keeps her sourdough starter in a jar in the fridge.
- You need to feed the starter with fresh flour every day.
- The starter smelled strong, which meant it was active and ready to use.
- He shared some of his hundred-year-old starter with his neighbor.
- If the starter becomes moldy, you should throw it away and begin a new one.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I made a sourdough starter with flour and water.
- The bread needs a strong starter to rise well.
- Please feed the starter every morning.
- If the starter is not active, the bread will be flat.
Sustantivo
C1
entity
6
official who starts a race
The person at a race who tells the runners or horses when to start.
Patrón de uso:
[the] starter signals the beginning of [race]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think 'starter' in this context means a person who is new to racing. Here it means the race official who starts the race, not a beginner.
Sinónimos
race official (General term for people who manage a race; a starter is one specific type of race official.)
Colocaciones
race starter
|official starter
|starter's orders
|starter pistol
|at the starter's signal
|the starter calls them to the line
Temas
sports
|events
Ejemplos
- The starter raised his pistol and the runners fell silent.
- At the starter's signal, the horses leapt from the gates.
- The race was delayed while officials spoke to the starter.
- The starter made them line up again after a false start.
- Only when the starter was ready did the swimmers take their marks.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The starter told the runners to get ready.
- When the starter fired the gun, the race began.
- The horses waited for the starter to give the signal.
- The starter stopped the race after a false start.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
starter
AFI
GB/stˈɑɹtɚ/
US/stˈɑɹtɚ/
Sílabas y acento
starter (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (starter)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: starter
- Plural: starters
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
a non-starter
1/ə nˈɑn stˈɑɹtɚ/
idiom
idea with no chance of success
An idea, plan, or person that will definitely not work or will not be accepted.
Ejemplos
- Raising taxes that much is a non-starter for most voters.
- The proposal was a non-starter because it ignored basic safety rules.
- Hiring someone without a visa is a legal non-starter.
conversation starter
1/kˌɑnvɚsˈeɪʃən stˈɑɹtɚ/
fixed phrase
question or thing that starts talk
Something, like a question or an interesting object, that helps people begin to talk to each other.
Ejemplos
- Her unusual necklace was a great conversation starter at the event.
- The book includes conversation starter questions for shy people.
- Games can be useful conversation starters at a party.
for starters
1/fɚ stˈɑɹtɚz/
fixed phrase
informal
to begin with; first of all
Used to introduce the first point or reason when you will say more things after it.
Ejemplos
- I am not going to the party. For starters, I have too much work to do.
- We should, for starters, agree on a clear budget.
- For starters, the rent is too high, and the flat is very small.
self-starter
1/sˈɛlf stˈɑɹtɚ/
fixed phrase
person who shows own initiative
Someone who can start work or projects alone, without being pushed or told what to do.
Ejemplos
- The company is looking for a self-starter who can manage projects alone.
- She is a real self-starter and quickly built a strong client base.
- Being a self-starter is important if you want to work from home.
starter culture
1/stˈɑɹtɚ kˈʌlt͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
microbe mix used to ferment food
A mix of tiny living things, like bacteria or yeast, that you add to food to make it ferment, for example in yogurt or cheese.
Ejemplos
- The yogurt starter culture must be kept at the right temperature.
- Cheesemakers carefully select the starter culture to control flavor.
- Without a healthy starter culture, the fermentation will fail.
starter home
1/stˈɑɹtɚ hˈoʊm/
fixed phrase
first small, affordable house
A small, not very expensive house that people usually buy as their first home.
Ejemplos
- They bought a modest starter home in the suburbs.
- High prices mean many young couples cannot afford even a starter home.
- The new development includes starter homes aimed at first-time buyers.
starter motor
1/stˈɑɹtɚ mˈoʊtɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
electric motor that starts engine
The electric motor in a car that turns the engine so it can start running.
Ejemplos
- A grinding sound can mean the starter motor is failing.
- The garage replaced the starter motor under warranty.
- Without a working starter motor, the car will not start at all.
starter pack
1/stˈɑɹtɚ pˈæk/
fixed phrase
informal
basic or typical set of items
A basic set of things that you need when you begin something, or a humorous list that shows what is typical for a type of person or activity.
Ejemplos
- The mobile company sells a cheap starter pack for new users.
- Online, people joke about a 'college student starter pack' with coffee, headphones, and a laptop.
- This gardening starter pack includes seeds, soil, and small pots.
starter pistol
1/stˈɑɹtɚ pˈɪstəl/
fixed phrase
gun used to start a race
A special gun that makes a loud sound to tell runners or swimmers to begin a race.
Ejemplos
- The crack of the starter pistol sent the runners down the track.
- Officials tested the starter pistol before the competition began.
- At the sound of the starter pistol, the swimmers dived into the pool.
starter kit
1/stˈɑɹtɚ kˈɪt/
fixed phrase
basic set of things to begin
A simple set of things that gives you everything you need to begin doing something new.
Ejemplos
- The knitting starter kit includes needles and yarn.
- She bought a painting starter kit with brushes, paints, and a canvas.
- A starter kit is perfect if you're new to painting.
- The store sells a starter kit for people who want to keep bees.
- I got a bread-making starter kit as a birthday present.