I. ˈstär]t, -tȧ], usu ]d.+V\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English start, stert handle, tail, from Old English steort tail; akin to Middle Dutch stert, start tail, Old High German sterz, Old Norse stertr tail, Old English starian to stare — more at stare
: a curved or projecting part or section: as
a. : the curved or inclined front and bottom of a waterwheel bucket
b. : the lever of a gin drawn around by a horse
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English sterten; akin to Middle High German sterzen to move quickly, stand up stiffly, Old Norse sterta to crease, Old English starian to stare — more at stare
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to move suddenly and violently from a state of stillness or rest : dart , jump , spring
everywhere men and women started from their beds at the shots — Marjory S. Douglas
started to his feet angrily — Liam O'Flaherty
— often used with up
now falls on her bed, and then starts up — Shakespeare
b. : to draw back : flinch , recoil
she skipped forward to the pit … but she started back in surprise — George Eliot
c. : to awaken suddenly
started from my sleep with horror — Mary W. Shelley
started from her reverie with a shiver — G.B.Shaw
d. : to react (as to something that frightens, surprises, or disgusts) with a sudden brief involuntary movement : become startled
stepped stealthily, and started when a twig snapped underfoot — Margaret Deland
she never starts or shows surprise — Rose Macaulay
why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair — Shakespeare
2.
a. : to issue, flow, or enter with sudden force : burst
blood starting from the wound
tears starting from her eyes
b. : to arise, emerge, or break out suddenly
in a few short paragraphs, the characters start into life
— often used with up
new settlements started up all around them
a man who started up from obscurity
c. : to come into being, activity, or operation : begin , commence
the blood is all ready and waiting with food, if a baby starts — J.A.O'Brien
the fever disappears for a few days, only to start all over again — Justina Hill
as soon as the battle started, he left his command post — H.L.Merillat
3. : to protrude or seem to protrude : bulge
the men of the regiment, with their starting eyes and sweating faces — Stephen Crane
4.
a. : to work itself open or free : become loosened : become broken or forced out of place
a nail has started
one of the planks has started
b. of an arrow : to jump suddenly out of the line of aim when loosed
c. of book leaves : to extend beyond the regular fore edge because loosened at the backbone
5. archaic : to deviate from one's course or duty : desert , revolt
6.
a. : to begin a forward movement : take off on a course or progress : set out
the train is ready to start
the expedition started north
five cars started but only three finished
b. : to range from a specified initial point
the rates start at ten dollars
the alphabet starts with A
a succession of expressions, starting with a gentle smile and finishing with a broad grin — Wilfrid Campfield
7.
a. : to begin an activity or undertaking
as soon as you're ready to play, we'll start
as a novelist, he starts with a double handicap
started in business on a shoestring
b. : to begin work
when do I start
— sometimes used with in
will start in after a brief period of training
c.
(1) : to be a contestant or entry in a race or field trial
(2) : to be in the lineup at the beginning of a game (as baseball or football)
despite his injury, he will start in center field
a left-hander will probably start for the home team
started at quarterback
transitive verb
1. : to drive from a place of concealment into the open : cause to move so as to be discovered : flush
started a deer on the banks of this stream — American Guide Series: Vermont
start a hare
2. archaic : to disturb suddenly : startle , alarm
every feather starts you — Shakespeare
3. : to bring up for consideration or discussion : introduce , propound
started a subject in which he expected him to shine — Jane Austen
4.
a. : to bring into being : initiate , originate
started a story that his opponent was a crook
started the modernist movement in art
started the custom many years ago
b. : to set up : establish , found
start a college
start a newspaper
5.
a. : to cause to become loosened or displaced
the pounding of the waves started some of the rivets
b. : to break out
start the anchor
c. : to ease off : slacken
start a rope
6.
a. : discharge , empty
start the contents of the barrel into a new cask
b. : to begin the use of
start a new keg of beer
start a fresh loaf of bread
7.
a. : to set going : cause to move, act, or operate
was unable to start the car
wound the clock to start it running again
started his son in business
b. : to cause (a motor) to begin running on its own ignition — often used with up
c.
(1) : to enter in a race or contest
plans to start the horse in only a few races this year
(2) : to put into a game at the beginning
started the rookie at third but took him out after three innings
d. : to begin the employment of : take on
the company started him at the same salary he had been getting on his previous job
the station started him as a news announcer
e. : to care for during the early stages of growth and development : initiate the raising or training of
started chicks
a well- started coonhound
8. : to perform the first stages or actions of : enter on
started studying music at the age of three
started to load the truck
started what seemed like an impossible job
Synonyms: see begin
•
- start something
- to start with
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English stert, from sterten, v.
1.
a. : a sudden involuntary bodily movement or reaction
gave a little start of surprise — R.H.Davis
jerked the reins so hard that her mother came out of her thoughts with a start — Margaret Deland
b. : a brief and sudden action or movement : bound
nature does nothing by starts and leaps — Roger L'Estrange
does things by fits and starts
c. obsolete : a sudden excursion or flight
use your legs, take the start , run away — Shakespeare
d. : a sudden capricious impulse or outburst : fit , sally
starts and aberrations of fancy welling up from springs of suppressed romance — Edith Wharton
e. : a sudden burst of sound or speech
she did speak in starts distractedly — Shakespeare
2.
a. : a beginning of movement, activity, or development : initial impulse, motion, or action
made a good start in life
the work is off to a promising start
the horse made a false start and had to be called back
building starts
housing starts
b. : a lead or handicap at the beginning of a race or competition : advantage , head start
gave them a five minutes' start and then went after them
the early sea trade of the inhabitants of the island world … gave them a start over their neighbors — Edward Clodd
c.
(1) : the act or action of setting into motion : the imparting of motion
gave the car a start by pushing it
(2) : help in beginning or undertaking something (as a career or project)
gave him his start in business
gave him a start on the problem
d. : a place of beginning : point of departure
five cars lined up at the start
selected the old mill as the start of the hike
3. : an unusual, interesting, or surprising incident or event : a peculiar circumstance
of all the queer starts … me, meeting you like this — Richard Dehan
4.
a. : something that has come loose : displacement
b. starts plural : book leaves that have started
5. : the act or an instance of being a competitor in a race or a member of a starting lineup in a game
finished no worse than second in his last six starts
pitched an excellent game in his first start