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starter

choke (car engine)

noun star-TEUR Rare
Travel & Places Transportation

Origin: English loanword, from 'starter'

Also means

starter motor

Usage Note

Starter in French primarily refers to the choke on an older carburettor engine, used to enrich the fuel mixture when cold-starting. It also means the electric starter motor. In sports, un starter is the official who starts a race — though le juge de départ is more formal. The term is rarely used for the American-English meaning of 'appetiser'.

Examples

"Il a tiré le starter pour démarrer par temps froid."

Natural Translation

He pulled the choke to start the car in cold weather.

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