(1)

promoter: 1   a person or thing that promotes; specif., a person who begins, secures financing for, and helps to organize an undertaking, as a business, a sports event, etc. 2   Chem. a substance that will accelerate the effect of a catalyst on a reaction.

from Webster's new world dictionary.

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(2) (i) a gene region immediately upstream of a transcription initiation site
(ii) a cis - acting genetic element controlling the rate of transcription initiation of a gene

from Perier et al (2000).