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start |
5 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Start \Start\, n. 1. The act of starting; a sudden spring, leap, or motion, caused by surprise, fear, pain, or the like any sudden motion, or beginning of motion. The fright awakened Arcite with a start --Dryden. 2. A convulsive motion, twitch, or spasm; a spasmodic effort. For she did speak in starts distractedly. --Shak. Nature does nothing by starts and leaps, or in a hurry. --L'Estrange. 3. A sudden, unexpected movement; a sudden and capricious impulse; a sally; as starts of fancy. To check the starts and sallies of the soul. --Addison. 4. The beginning, as of a journey or a course of action first motion from a place act of setting out the outset; -- opposed to {finish}. The start of first performance is all --Bacon. I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start --Shak. {At a start}, at once; in an instant. [Obs.] At a start he was betwixt them two --Chaucer. {To get}, or {have}, {the start}, to before another; to gain or have the advantage in a similar undertaking; -- usually with of ``Get the start of the majestic world.'' --Shak. ``She might have forsaken him if he had not got the start of her.'' --Dryden. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Start \Start\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {started}; p. pr & vb n. {starting}.] [OE. sterten; akin to D. storten 8hurl, rush, fall, G. st["u]rzen, OHG. sturzen to turn over to fall, Sw st["o]ra to cast down to fall, Dan. styrte, and probably also to E. start a tail; the original sense being perhaps, to show the tail, to tumble over suddenly. [root]166. Cf {Start} a tail.] 1. To leap; to jump. [Obs.] 2. To move suddenly, as with a spring or leap, from surprise, pain, or other sudden feeling or emotion, or by a voluntary act And maketh him out of his sleep to start --Chaucer. I start as from some dreadful dream. --Dryden. Keep your soul to the work when ready to start aside. --I. Watts. But if he start It is the flesh of a corrupted heart. --Shak. 3. To set out to commence a course, as a race or journey; to begin; as to start business. At once they start advancing in a line --Dryden. At intervals some bird from out the brakes Starts into voice a moment, then is still --Byron. 4. To become somewhat displaced or loosened; as a rivet or a seam may start under strain or pressure. {To start after}, to set out after to follow to pursue. {To start against}, to act as a rival candidate against. {To start for}, to be a candidate for as an office. {To start up}, to rise suddenly, as from a seat or couch; to come suddenly into notice or importance. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Start \Start\, v. t. 1. To cause to move suddenly; to disturb suddenly; to startle; to alarm; to rouse; to cause to flee or fly; as the hounds started a fox. Upon malicious bravery dost thou come To start my quiet? --Shak. Brutus will start a spirit as soon as C[ae]sar. --Shak. 2. To bring onto being or into view; to originate; to invent. Sensual men agree in the pursuit of every pleasure they can start --Sir W. Temple. 3. To cause to move or act to set going, running, or flowing; as to start a railway train; to start a mill; to start a stream of water; to start a rumor; to start a business. I was engaged in conversation upon a subject which the people love to start in discourse. --Addison. 4. To move suddenly from its place or position; to displace or loosen; to dislocate; as to start a bone; the storm started the bolts in the vessel. One by a fall in wrestling, started the end of the clavicle from the sternum. --Wiseman. 5. [Perh. from D. storten, which has this meaning also.] (Naut.) To pour out to empty; to tap and begin drawing from as to start a water cask. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Start \Start\, n. [OE. stert a tail, AS steort; akin to LG stert, steert, D. staart, G. sterz, Icel. stertr, Dan. stiert, Sw stjert. [root]166. Cf Stark naked, under {Stark}, {Start}, v. i.] 1. A tail, or anything projecting like a tail. 2. The handle, or tail, of a plow; also any long handle. [Prov. Eng.] 3. The curved or inclined front and bottom of a water-wheel bucket. 4. (Mining) The arm, or level, of a gin, drawn around by a horse. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: start n 1: the beginning of anything "it was off to a good start" 2: the time at which something begins; "They got an early start" [syn: {beginning}, {commencement}, {first}, {outset}, {kickoff}, {starting time}, {offset}] [ant: {middle}, {end}] 3: a turn to be in a game at the beginning; "he missed his starting turn because of an injury"; "he got his start because the regular quarterback was in the hospital" [syn: {starting}] 4: a sudden involuntary movement: "he awoke with a start" [syn: {startle}, {jump}] 5: the act of starting something "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations" [syn: {beginning}, {commencement}] [ant: {finish}] 6: a line indicating the location of the start of a race [syn: {starting line}] 7: a signal to begin (as in a race); "the starting signal was a green light"; "the runners awaited the start" [syn: {starting signal}] 8: advantage gained by an early start as in a race: "with an hour's start he will be hard to catch" [syn: {head start}] v 1: take the first step or steps in carrying out an action: "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?" "Get working as soon as the sun rises!" [syn: {begin}, {get}, {start out}, {set about}, {set out}, {commence}] [ant: {end}] 2: set in motion, cause to start "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraquis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life" [syn: {begin}, {lead off}, {commence}] [ant: {end}] 3: leave "The family took off for Florida" [syn: {depart}, {part}, {start out}, {set forth}, {set off}, {set out}, {take off}] 4: have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense: "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000" [syn: {begin}] [ant: {end}] 5: bring into being "He initiated a new program"; "Start a foundation" [syn: {originate}, {initiate}] 6: get off the ground; "Who started this company?" "We embarked on an exciting enterprise" [syn: {start up}, {begin}, {embark on}, {commence}] 7: move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm; "She startled when I walked into the room" [syn: {startle}, {jump}] 8: get going or set in motion; "We simply could not start the engine" [syn: {start up}] [ant: {stop}] 9: begin or set in motion; "I start at eight in the morning"; "Ready, set go!" [syn: {go}, {get going}] [ant: {stop}] 10: begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job; "Take up a position"; "start a new job" [syn: {take up}] 11: play in the starting line-up, in team sports
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