1. (v. i.) To leap; to jump.

2. (v. i.) To move suddenly, as with a spring or leap, from surprise, pain, or other sudden feeling or emotion, or by a voluntary act.

3. (v. i.) To set out; to commence a course, as a race or journey; to begin; as, to start business.

4. (v. i.) To become somewhat displaced or loosened; as, a rivet or a seam may start under strain or pressure.

5. (v. t.) 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.

6. (v. t.) To bring onto being or into view; to originate; to invent.

7. (v. t.) 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.

8. (v. t.) 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.

9. (v. t.) To pour out; to empty; to tap and begin drawing from; as, to start a water cask.

10. (n.) 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.

11. (n.) A convulsive motion, twitch, or spasm; a spasmodic effort.

12. (n.) A sudden, unexpected movement; a sudden and capricious impulse; a sally; as, starts of fancy.

13. (n.) 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.

14. (n.) A tail, or anything projecting like a tail.

15. (n.) The handle, or tail, of a plow; also, any long handle.

16. (n.) The curved or inclined front and bottom of a water-wheel bucket.

17. (n.) The arm, or level, of a gin, drawn around by a horse.

A activate advance advantage aid allowance alpha arise assistance attack avoid backing base basis be off be startled beat beget begin beginning beginnings birth blanch blast away blast off blast-off blench blink bob boggle bolt border line bounce bound boundary boundary condition boundary line bourn break break boundary break open break up breakoff point bring before bring forward bring up broach buck buckjump bulge bundle bundle off burst capriole carry away ceiling chance chase circumscription clear coign of vantage come apart come off come undone come unstuck come up commence commencement commend to attention compass confine constitute course crack crack up create creation cringe crop up curvet cutoff cutoff point cutting edge dart dawn dawning deadline deadwood delimitation depart determinant develop disintegrate dive in dive into division line dodge dog draw draw back drive drop duck edge embark embark on emerge emergence encouragement end enter enter on enter upon establish establishment evade extremity fade falcon fall back fall off fall to fall to pieces father fight shy financing finish fissure flick flinch flip flirt float floor flounce flush fly apart flying start follow the hounds found foundation founding fowl fracture fresh start frontier genesis get busy get going get loose get off get to get under way get with it give a start give away give birth to give way go go ahead go forth go hunting go to it go to pieces gun handicap hang back hawk head into head start hedge help high-water mark hippety-hop hit the road hitch hop hop to it hound hunt hunt down hurdle inaugurate inauguration inception initiate initiation inside track institute institution interface introduce issue issue forth jack jacklight jar jerk jib jig jiggle jog joggle jolt jump jump a mile jump off jump over jump to it jump-off kick off kick-off launch launch into lay before lead leading edge leap leap over leapfrog leave light into limen limit limitation limiting factor line line of demarcation line of departure low-water mark lower limit make a motion march mark mete moot move negotiate new departure odds offer a resolution oncoming onset open open up opening opportunity organize origin originate origination outbreak outset outsetting