For food:
* Appetizer: A small dish served before a main course.
* Hors d'oeuvre: Similar to an appetizer, often more elaborate.
* First course: A more formal way to refer to the initial course of a meal.
* Entrée: This can be either a first course or a main course, depending on the region.
For other contexts:
* Beginner: Someone new to a skill or activity.
* Initiator: Someone who starts something.
* Originator: The person or thing that created something.
* Launch: To begin something, especially a project.
* Preliminary: Something that comes before the main part.
* Initial: The first stage or step in a process.
Could you please give me more context about how you're using the word "starter" so I can give you a more specific answer?