Definition of "fronter"

In the word start, the Maori English vowel is somewhat fronter, despite our general observation that BATH/START is backer than in Pakeha New Zealand English.

2004, Bernd Kortmann, Edgar W. Schneider, A Handbook of Varieties of English: A Multimedia Reference Tool, volume 1, page 621

Similarly, diphthong shift of /au/ (the MOUTH vowel) involves a first element fronter than [A] or closer (higher) than [a], for example [kευ] cow; diphthong shift of /ei/ (the FACE vowel) has a first element more open (lower) than [e], as in [plɛɪs] place (cf. RP [pleɪs]); diphthong shift of /ou/ (the GOAT vowel) involves a first element fronter and/or more open (lower) than [o], for example /kɐʊt/ coat (cf. RP [kɵʊt]).

2004, Elizabeth Gordon, New Zealand English: Its Origins and Evolution, page 149

The full development is Quadrant 4 in which /e/ is fully reversed in relation to /ey/, both fronter and higher.

2007, Terry Lynn Irons, On the Southern Shift in Appalachian English‎, page 122

In the case of musicker′s salaries, the IR Department asks a recording band fronter to show if a fixed salary is guarantted to sideman, irrespective of the hours worked; […] .

1947 October 11, The Billboard, Gov′t Checks Ork Disk $$$, page 20

Another point I'd like to bring up is the use of fronters. These are people who prospect for you.

2002, Joe Catal, Telesales Tips from the Trenches: Secrets of a Street-Smart Salesman, page 167

By attending investment seminars or trade shows or dropping a business card off at a booth, you are sending a message that you are someone who is motivated to invest, which makes you more likely to say yes when the fronter calls on the phone.

2012, D. Shadel, Outsmarting the Scam Artists: How to Protect Yourself From the Most Clever Cons, unnumbered page