"self-starter" meaning in English

See self-starter in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: self-starters [plural]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English starter English self-starter From self- + starter. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|self-|starter|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English starter English self-starter [Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "is_uncertain" : true, "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*swé", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*selbʰ-", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*selbaz", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "self", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "self-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "self-", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "self-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }, { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "starter", "status" : "missing", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "self-starter", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="self-starter"> From self- + starter. Head templates: {{en-noun|head=self-starter}} self-starter (plural self-starters)
  1. A person who shows initiative and resourcefulness.
    Sense id: en-self-starter-en-noun-g~aP03m3
  2. A mechanism (usually one operated by electricity, compressed air, a spring, or an explosive gas), attached to an internal-combustion engine, as on an automobile, and used as a means of starting the engine without cranking it by hand. Synonyms: starter
    Sense id: en-self-starter-en-noun-9F6cV4Zj Categories (other): English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with etymon, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with self-, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees, Pages with etymon Disambiguation of English entries with etymology texts: 24 66 10 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 24 66 10 Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 17 72 11 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 11 84 5 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with self-: 27 52 21 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 10 79 11 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 5 88 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 5 89 6 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 20 69 12 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 10 78 12
  3. An engine so equipped, or the vehicle that it powers.
    Sense id: en-self-starter-en-noun-H0Y8l-r6
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: self-starting

Inflected forms

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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *swé?\nProto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der.\nProto-Germanic *selbaz\nOld English self\nOld English self-\nMiddle English self-\nEnglish self-\nEnglish starter\nEnglish self-starter\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*swé\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*selbʰ-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*selbaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"self\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"self-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"self-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"self-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"starter\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"self-starter\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"self-starter\">\nFrom self- + starter.",
      "name": "ety"
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  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *swé?\nProto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der.\nProto-Germanic *selbaz\nOld English self\nOld English self-\nMiddle English self-\nEnglish self-\nEnglish starter\nEnglish self-starter\nFrom self- + starter.",
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          "text": "Purchasing a snowplow transforms Homer into a new man. Mr. Burns' laziest employee suddenly becomes an ambitious self-starter who buys ad time on local television at 3:17 A.M^([sic]) (prime viewing hours, Homer gingerly volunteers, for everyone from alcoholics to the unemployable to garden-variety angry loners) and makes a homemade commercial costarring his family.",
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      "id": "en-self-starter-en-noun-g~aP03m3",
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          "ref": "1954, Ian Fleming, “Interview with M”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 11:",
          "text": "The grey Bentley convertible, the 1933 4½-litre with the Amherst-Villiers supercharger, had been brought round a few minutes earlier from the garage where he kept it and the engine had kicked directly he pressed the self-starter.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mechanism (usually one operated by electricity, compressed air, a spring, or an explosive gas), attached to an internal-combustion engine, as on an automobile, and used as a means of starting the engine without cranking it by hand."
      ],
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        "An engine so equipped, or the vehicle that it powers."
      ],
      "id": "en-self-starter-en-noun-H0Y8l-r6",
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}
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *swé?\nProto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der.\nProto-Germanic *selbaz\nOld English self\nOld English self-\nMiddle English self-\nEnglish self-\nEnglish starter\nEnglish self-starter\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*swé\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*selbʰ-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*selbaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"self\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"self-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"self-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"self-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"starter\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"self-starter\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"self-starter\">\nFrom self- + starter.",
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        "A mechanism (usually one operated by electricity, compressed air, a spring, or an explosive gas), attached to an internal-combustion engine, as on an automobile, and used as a means of starting the engine without cranking it by hand."
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  "word": "self-starter"
}

Download raw JSONL data for self-starter meaning in English (5.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.