start up Definition

start
verb started, starting

tr & intr
1. To begin; to bring or come into being.

Thesaurus: begin, set out, commence, open, pioneer, embark on; rise, issue, spring, originate.
tr & intr
2. To set or be set in motion, or put or be put into a working state.

Example: She started the car
3. To establish or set up.

Example: started his own business
Thesaurus: inaugurate, begin, cause, activate, establish, engender, father, instigate, launch, found, create, institute.
4. To initiate or get going; to cause or set off.

Example: Harry started the quarrel
intr
5. To begin a journey.

Example: started for home at midday
intr
6. To flinch or shrink back suddenly and sharply, eg in fear or surprise.
intr
7. colloq
To begin to behave in an annoying way, eg by picking a quarrel, making a noise, fighting, raising a disagreeable subject, etc.
Example: Come on, kids! Please don't start
8. Said of someone's eyes: to bulge.
9. To drive (an animal) from a lair or hiding-place.

noun

1. The first or early part.
2. A beginning, origin or cause.

Thesaurus: inception, commencement, origin, inauguration, source, derivation, beginning, birth, dawn, outset; Antonym: finish, end.
3. The time or place at which something starts.

Example: made an early start
4. An advantage given or held at the beginning of a race or other contest.

Example: gave her a two metre start
5. A help in, or opportunity of, beginning, eg in a career.

Example: His uncle gave him a start in the business
6. A sudden flinching or shrinking back.

Idiom: for a start

As an initial consideration; in the first place.

Idiom: to start with

Used to introduce a list, especially of complaints, objections, etc: as a first consideration.

In the beginning; in the first instance.
Example: She behaved very badly to start with

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon styrten.

Phrasal Verb: start as or start out as something

To begin a career, etc as it.
Example: started out as a doctor

Phrasal Verb: start off or out

To be initially.
Example: The film starts off in black and white
To begin a journey, etc.
Example: We started out yesterday
To begin (doing a specified thing or with a specified aim in mind).
Example: started out camping, but the weather was too bad

Phrasal Verb: start something off

To be the cause of it.
Example: Anger over the tax started the riots off
To begin it.

Phrasal Verb: start on someone

To become suddenly and violently hostile towards them; to turn on them.

Phrasal Verb: start up or start something up

Said of a car, engine, etc: to run or get it running.To establish it; to put it into action. See also start-up.
Example: The mums started up their own playgroup

Phrasal Verb: start with something

To have it at the beginning.
Example: The book starts with a gruesome murder