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start

Pronunciation: /stɑːt/

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Definition of start

verb

  • 1 [no object] begin or be reckoned from a particular point in time or space; come into being:the season starts in September we ate before the film started below Roaring Springs the real desert starts
  • embark on a continuing action or a new venture:I’m starting on a new book [with infinitive or present participle]:I started to chat to him we plan to start building in the autumn
  • use a particular point, action, or circumstance as an opening for a course of action:the teacher can start by capitalizing on children’s curiosity I shall start with the case you mention first
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] begin to move or travel:we started out into the snow he started for the door
  • [with object] begin to engage in (an occupation), live through (a period), or attend (an educational establishment):she will start school today he started work at a travel agent they started their married life
  • begin one’s working life:he started as a mess orderly he started off as doctor in the house
  • cost at least a specified amount:fees start at £300
  • 2 [with object] cause to happen or begin:two men started the blaze those women started all the trouble I’m starting a campaign to get the law changed
  • cause (a machine) to begin to work:we had trouble starting the car he starts up his van
  • [no object] (of a machine) begin operating or being used:the noise of a lorry starting up there was a moment of silence before the organ started
  • cause or enable to begin doing something:his father started him off in business [with object and present participle]:what he said started me thinking
  • give a signal to (competitors) to start in a race.
  • 3 [no object] jerk or give a small jump from surprise or alarm:‘Oh my!’ she said, starting
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] literary move or appear suddenly:she had seen Meg start suddenly from a thicket
  • (of eyes) bulge so as to appear to burst out of their sockets:his eyes started out of his head like a hare’s
  • be displaced or displace by pressure or shrinkage: [no object]:the mortar in the joints had started
  • [with object] rouse (game) from its lair.

noun

[usually in singular]
  • 1the point in time or space at which something has its origin; the beginning:he takes over as chief executive at the start of next year the event was a shambles from start to finish his bicycle was found close to the start of a forest trail
  • the point or moment at which a race begins: make sure you are not over the line at the start
  • an act of beginning to do or deal with something:I can make a start on cleaning up an early start enabled us to avoid the traffic
  • used to indicate that a useful initial contribution has been made but that more remains to be done:if he would tell her who had put him up to it, it would be a start
  • a person’s position or circumstances at the beginning of their life:she’s anxious to give her baby the best start in life
  • an advantage consisting in having set out in a race or on a journey earlier than one’s rivals:he had a ninety-minute start on them
  • 2a sudden movement of surprise or alarm:she awoke with a start the woman gave a nervous start
  • dated a surprising occurrence:you hear of some rum starts there

Phrases

don't start (or don't you start)

informal used to tell someone not to grumble or criticize:don’t start—I do my fair share

for a start

informal used to introduce the first or most important of a number of considerations:this side are at an advantage—for a start, there are more of them

get the start of

dated gain an advantage over: I laughed to think how I had got the start of them

start a family

conceive one’s first child.

start a hare

see hare.

start something

informal cause trouble: you needn’t worry about having started something

to start with

at first:she wasn’t very keen on the idea to start with
as the first thing to be taken into account:to start with, I was feeling down

Phrasal Verbs

start again

chiefly British abandon what one is doing and make a new beginning:while I was writing this essay my computer froze and I had to start again

start in

informal
begin doing something, especially talking:people groan when she starts in about her acting ambitions
(start in on) North American begin to do or deal with:she started in on her face
(start in on) North American attack verbally; begin to criticize.

start off (or start someone/thing off)

begin (or cause someone or something to begin) to operate or do something:treatment should start off with attention to diet what started you off on this search?

start on

informal begin to criticize someone:she started on about my not having proper furniture

start over

North American way of saying start again.could you face going back to school and starting over?

start out (or up)

embark on a venture or undertaking, especially a commercial one:the company will start out with a hundred employees

Origin:

Old English styrtan 'to caper, leap', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch storten 'push' and German stürzen 'fall headlong, fling'. From the sense 'sudden movement' arose the sense 'initiation of movement, setting out on a journey' and hence 'beginning of a process, etc.'

start in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of start in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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