initiator

IPA: ɪnɪʃˈieɪtɝ

One who initiates.
(chemistry) A substance that initiates a chain reaction or polymerization.
(military) A component of a nuclear weapon that produces a burst of neutrons to trigger a fission chain reaction.
(computing) A task (in a mainframe computer) that initiates multiple jobs.
(medicine) A material whose presence in the body eventually leads to cancer.

Examples of "initiator" in Sentences

This alteration is often described as the initiator of carcinogenesis.
An iSCSI "client" is an initiator, which is a direct translation of the
An iSCSI "client" is an initiator, which is a direct translation of the SCSI protocol.
Ten years later, Costco merged with The Price Company, known as the initiator of the warehouse club concept.
CORRESPONDENT: What the document, Stan, says is that over a four-year period the Iranians have been developing a neutron initiator, which is a component, and essential component for a detonator for a nuclear weapon.