n. the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations"

n. a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning); "he got his start because one of the regular pitchers was in the hospital"; "his starting meant that the coach thought he was one of their best linemen"

n. a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start"

n. the advantage gained by beginning early (as in a race); "with an hour's start he will be hard to catch"

n. a signal to begin (as in a race); "the starting signal was a green light"; "the runners awaited the start"

n. the beginning of anything; "it was off to a good start"

n. a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game

n. the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her"

v. 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"

v. play in the starting lineup

v. get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack"

v. get going or set in motion; "We simply could not start the engine"; "start up the computer"

v. begin or set in motion; "I start at eight in the morning"; "Ready, set, go!"

v. leave; "The family took off for Florida"

v. begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job; "Take up a position"; "start a new job"

v. to execute a program or a command