start
/stɑ:t/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- The beginning of an activity or event: The point in time or space at which something commences.
- A sudden, brief movement of the body due to surprise or alarm: A quick, involuntary jerk.
- An advantage given at the beginning of a race or competition: A lead or head start.
- An opportunity to begin a career or activity: A chance to enter a field or role.
Verb:
- To begin an action, process, or journey: To set something in motion or commence doing something.
- To cause (a machine or device) to begin operating: To activate or turn on.
- To establish or found something: To bring an organization or enterprise into existence.
- To move suddenly and involuntarily because of fear, surprise, or pain: To jerk or jump.
- To begin operating or functioning: To come into being or activity.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- The start of the race was signaled by a gunshot.
- She woke up with a start when the alarm went off.
- He got a 10-meter start in the race.
- His first job was the start of a brilliant career.
Verb:
- Let's start the meeting at 9 AM.
- I can't start the car; the battery might be dead.
- They started a new charity to help the homeless.
- He started in fear when he heard the loud noise.
- The engine finally started after several attempts.
Advanced Usage
- "to get off to a good/bad start": To begin an activity successfully/unsuccessfully.
- The project got off to a good start with strong team collaboration.
- "to start from scratch": To begin something from the very beginning, without using any prior work or advantage.
- After the fire, they had to start their business from scratch.
- "for a start": Used to introduce the first point in a list or argument.
- We can't afford it. For a start, it's too expensive.
Variants and Related Words
- Starter (n): A person or thing that starts something; an appetizer.
- He was the starter in today's football game.
- Starting (adj/n): Relating to the beginning; the act of beginning.
- The starting point for the hike is at the visitor center.
- Start-up (n): A newly established business.
- She works for a tech start-up in the city. (Note: This is a compound noun listed separately as a variant.)
Synonyms
- Begin (v): To perform the first part of an action; to start.
- Commence (v): To begin formally.
- Initiate (v): To cause a process or action to begin.
- Jump (v): To move suddenly (for the involuntary movement sense).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Start off: To begin a journey or activity.
- We'll start off early to avoid the traffic.
- Start on: To begin working on or dealing with something.
- I need to start on my homework.
- Start out: To begin one's life, career, or a journey.
- He started out as a junior assistant.
- Start up: To cause an engine or machine to begin operating; to establish a business.
- It's difficult to start up a new company in this economy.
Related Idioms
- A rum start: (British, informal) A strange or surprising event.
- Well, that was a rum start to the day!
- By fits and starts: In an irregular or inconsistent manner.
- The project progressed by fits and starts.
- To start with a clean slate: To begin again, forgetting past mistakes or issues.
- After the apology, they decided to start with a clean slate.
Noun
- the advantage gained by beginning early (as in a race)
- with an hour's start he will be hard to catch
- a signal to begin (as in a race)
- the starting signal was a green light
- the runners awaited the start
- a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game
- the act of starting something
- he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations
- a sudden involuntary movement
- he awoke with a start
- 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
- 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
- the beginning of anything
- it was off to a good start
Verb
- bulge outward
- His eyes popped
- begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object
- begin a cigar
- She started the soup while it was still hot
- We started physics in 10th grade
- have a beginning characterized in some specified way
- The novel begins with a murder
- My property begins with the three maple trees
- Her day begins with a workout
- The semester begins with a convocation ceremony
- play in the starting lineup
- begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job
- Take up a position
- start a new job
- begin or set in motion
- I start at eight in the morning
- Ready, set, go!
- get going or set in motion
- We simply could not start the engine
- start up the computer
- move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
- She startled when I walked into the room
- 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
- bring into being
- He initiated a new program
- Start a foundation
- 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
- leave
- The family took off for Florida
- set in motion, cause to start
- The U.S. started a war in the Middle East
- The Iraqis began hostilities
- begin a new chapter in your life
- 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!
- The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia
- He began early in the day
- Let's get down to work now