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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)