Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - start

(starts, starting, started) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you start to do something, you do something that you were not doing before and you continue doing it. John then unlocked the front door and I started to follow him up the stairs... It was 1956 when Susanna started the work on the garden... She started cleaning the kitchen. = begin VERB: V to-inf, V n/-ing, V n/-ing • Start is also a noun. After several starts, she read the report properly. N-COUNT 2. When something starts, or if someone starts it, it takes place from a particular time. The fire is thought to have started in an upstairs room... The Great War started in August of that year... All of the passengers started the day with a swim. = begin VERB: V prep, V prep, V n • Start is also a noun. ...1918, four years after the start of the Great War... She demanded to know why she had not been told from the start. = beginning N-SING: the N 3. If you start by doing something, or if you start with something, you do that thing first in a series of actions. I started by asking how many day-care centers were located in the United States... He started with a good holiday in Key West, Florida. = begin VERB: V by -ing, V with n 4. You use start to say what someone’s first job was. For example, if their first job was that of a factory worker, you can say that they started as a factory worker. Betty started as a shipping clerk at the clothes factory... VERB: V as n • Start off means the same as start. Mr. Dambar had started off as an assistant to Mrs. Spear’s husband. PHRASAL VERB: V P as n 5. When someone starts something such as a new business, they create it or cause it to begin. Now is probably as good a time as any to start a business. VERB: V n • Start up means the same as start. The cost of starting up a day care center for children ranges from $150,000 to $300,000... He said what a good idea it would be to start a community magazine up. = set up PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P see also start-up 6. If you start an engine, car, or machine, or if it starts, it begins to work. He started the car, which hummed smoothly... We were just passing one of the parking bays when a car’s engine started. VERB: V n, V • Start up means the same as start. He waited until they went inside the building before starting up the car and driving off... Put the key in the ignition and turn it to start the car up... The engine of the seaplane started up. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P, V P 7. If you start, your body suddenly moves slightly as a result of surprise or fear. She put the bottle on the table, banging it down hard. He started at the sound... VERB: V • Start is also a noun. Sylvia woke with a start... He gave a start of surprise and astonishment. N-COUNT: usu sing 8. see also head start, false start 9. You use for a start or to start with to introduce the first of a number of things or reasons that you want to mention or could mention. You must get her name and address, and that can be a problem for a start... PHRASE: PHR with cl/group 10. If you get off to a good start, you are successful in the early stages of doing something. If you get off to a bad start, you are not successful in the early stages of doing something. The new Prime Minister has got off to a good start, but he still has to demonstrate what manner of leader he is going to be... PHRASE: V inflects 11. To start with means at the very first stage of an event or process. To start with, the pressure on her was very heavy, but it’s eased off a bit now... PHRASE: PHR with cl 12. in fits and starts: see fit to get off to a flying start: see flying