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start

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noun American English pronunciation: start /stɑrt/ 
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singularstart
pluralstarts
  1. 1
    [singular] the beginning of a period of time
    start of:

    At the start of the final year, students begin to think about going to a university.

    The revolutions of 1848 marked the start of a fascinating period in world history.

    This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

    from start to finish:

    The operation takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.

    1. a.
      [singular] the beginning of a movie, story, show, etc.

      Let's look at the start of the story in more detail.

      Hurry up or we'll miss the start.

  2. 2
    [singular] the way that someone begins a period of time or activity
    start to:

    There's no better start to the day than a healthy breakfast.

    have/make a great/fine/excellent etc. start:

    Hakkinen had a great start and was in second place by the first corner.

    Jordan has made an excellent start to his new career.

  3. 3
    [singular] the beginning of a trip

    After an early start, we were soon out of the city.

  4. 5
    [singular] a big change, or a new opportunity in your life
    a new/fresh start:

    She traveled to Hong Kong, hoping for a new start.

    give someone a start:

    The money she provided for him would give him a fresh start.

  5. 6
    [singular] a sudden movement that you make because you are surprised or afraid
    give someone a start:

    A noise in the road gave us all a start.

    wake/sit up with a start:

    She woke with a start from her dream.

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