Forms: ? 3, 4–6 stert(e, 5 stertte, stirt, 6 styrt, 5–6 styrte, starte, 6 startte, 6– start. [f. START v.]
† 1. A short space of time, a moment. Often used adverbially. Obs.
[a. 1225: see start-while in 12.]
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14298. Iesus biheild þan hir a stert, And had gret reuthnes in his hert.
c. 1375. Sc. Troy-bk. (Horstm.), I. 64. All wrath ande angry ine hys hert Stude studeande a litill stert.
14[?]. Erthe upon Erthe (1911), 24. Man, amende þe betyme, þi lyfe ys but a starte.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 476/1. Styrt, or lytyl whyle, momentum.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 894. In þat place duelt cuthbert With religiouse men a stert.
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 500. Was nane so stur in the steid micht stand him a start.
c. 1470. Rauf Coilȝear, 892. This wickit warld is bot ane start.
1530. Palsgr., 854/1. A preaty start a go, une petite espace de temps.
a. 1552. Leland, Itin., I. 119. An old manor place, wher in tymes paste sum of the Moulbrays lay for a starte.
1620. E. Blount, Ep. Ded., in Shelton’s Quixote, II. His study being to sweeten those short starts of your retirement from publique affaires.
† b. A (short or long) distance. Obs.
a. 1552. Leland, Itin., III. 31. First I markid a litle start above the haven mouth on the west side of it, a creeke caullid Stoken Teigne Hed.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., IV. v. (Arb.), 67. Indeede he dwelleth hence a good stert I confesse.
1580. Lyly, Euphues Eng., To Gentl. Rdrs. (Arb.), 223. Secondly, being a great start from Athens to England, he thought to staye for the aduantage of a Leape yeare.
2. A sudden and transient effort of movement; in early use, † a leap, a rush. † At a start: with a bound, in an instant.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 847. This duc his courser with his spores smoot And at a stert he was bitwix hem two.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1109. And at a stirt, withouten tarying, Vn-to his cofre he dressith hym in hye.
c. 1440. Generydes, 6699. Vnto hir chaunber sone he made a stert, And curtesly of hir his leve he toke.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 476/1. Styrte, or skyppe, saltus. Ibid. Styrte, of sodeyne mevynge, assultus.
1530. Palsgr., 276/2. Styrt a lepe, course.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 10. A Wood-Louse … has a swift motion, and runs by starts or stages.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., i. (1852), 16. The animals move with the narrow apex forwards by the aid of their vibratory ciliae, and generally by rapid starts.
b. Sc. Start and owerloup: the leaping of cattle over a fence into an adjoining pasture.
1707. Fountainhall, Decis. (1761), II. 408. If they [cattle], in their transient passage, do any skaith by start and o’erloup.
1827. Scott, Two Drovers, ii. The cattle … derived their subsistence … sometimes by the tempting opportunity of a start and owerloup, or invasion of the neighbouring pasture.
† c. A sudden journey; a sudden flight, invasion, etc. To take the start: to decamp, run away. Obs.
‘The Start,’ applied by historians to the flight from Perth of Charles II. in 1650, is derived from quot. 1650, where however the use of the word is not in any way special.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. viii. 45. Wer’t not a shame, that … The fearfull French … Should make a start ore-seas, and vanquish you? Ibid. (1596), Merch. V., II. ii. 6. The fiend … tempts me, saying to me, Iobbe,… vse your legs, take the start, run awaie.
1650. R. Baillie, Lett. & Jrnls. (Bannatyne Club), III. 117. The King … did willinglie returne, exceedinglie confounded and dejected for that ill-advysed start.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XIII. § 48. It was indeed a very empty and unprepared design,… and might well have ruined the King, and was afterwards called the Start.
1804. M. Laing, Hist. Scot., III. 437. This incident was termed the Start.
1894. Gardiner, Commw. & Protectorate, I. 376. Such was Charles’s escapade, to which Scottish writers give the name of ‘The Start.’
d. A sudden acceleration of progress or growth.
1817. Malthus, Popul., I. 365. The population of Norway … has made a start within the last ten or fifteen years.
1877. G. F. Chambers, Astron. (ed. 3), 37. Of late years the study of the sun has taken a remarkable start.
3. A sudden involuntary movement of the body, occasioned by surprise, terror, joy or grief, or the recollection of something forgotten. Phrase, to give a start.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 254. And ther-with-al his body sholde sterte, and wiþ þe stert al sodeynlych a-wake.
1605. Shaks., Macb., III. iv. 63. O, these flawes and starts … would well become A womans story.
1700. Dryden, Pal. & Arc., I. 555. The fright awaken’d Arcite with a start.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 109, ¶ 2. I imagine the start of attention awakened.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, X. vi. (Rtldg.), 351. He assumed the start of a man who all at once hits upon a circumstance which had hitherto escaped his recollection.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, Introd. In the general start and exclamation which followed this annunciation, Mr. Oldbuck dropped his snuff-box.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, II. xxiv. He gave a start of astonishment, and stood still.
1897. A. E. Houghton, Gilbert Murray, xix. 291. His eyes wandered to the ring. What a start he gave!
1902. R. Bagot, Donna Diana, xvi. 196. One or two old men were dozing upon their chairs, waking up every now and then with a start to cross themselves.
with adv. 1840. Browning, Sordello, III. 638. Thus do I interpret the significance of the bard’s start aside and look askance.
b. To give (a person) a start: to startle.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xxxix. What for did ye come creepin’ to your ain house as if ye had been an unco body, to gie poor auld Ailie sic a start?
4. A starting into activity; a sudden and transient effort or display of energy.
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. i. 304. Such vnconstant starts are we like to have from him, as this of Kents banishment.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, I. 53. A gentleman of broken means … but given to starts and bursts Of revel.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., ii. I. 205. He continued to the very last to show, by occasional starts and struggles, his impatience of the French yoke.
b. By starts, † at starts, later chiefly † by starts and fits, now by fits and starts (see FIT sb.2 4 c): intermittently, not continuously or with sustained effort.
The earliest examples may be referred to sense 1.
1421–2. Hoccleve, Dialog, 505. By stirtes when þat a fressh lust me takith, Wole I me bisye now and now a lyte.
1515. Barclay, Eglog, ii. (1570), B ij. To hir mayst thou come but onely nowe and then, By stealth and startes as priuily as thou can.
1530. Palsgr., 858/1. At startes, par foys.
1557. P. Hoby, in Burgon, Life Gresham (1839), I. 225, note. But you come so by sterts, as to-night you are here, and tomorrowe you are gone.
1586. Hooker, Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 83/1. They [sc. the Irish] … performed by starts (as their manner is) the dutie of good subiects.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 51. This little Treatise … being gathered and compiled by starts, as my leysure would serve.
1621. T. Williamson, trans. Goulart’s Wise Vieillard, A 2 b. I took vp my Pen againe, and at starts and tymes finished it.
1630. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 53. So we at starts do assent to the sweet and precious promises.
1640. Wilkins, New Planet, viii. (1707), 223. The Motion of the Earth is always equal and like it self; not by starts and fits.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., I. 548. Was Every thing by starts, and Nothing long.
1728. Earl of Ailesbury, Mem. (1890), 261. But I knew he had by starts great notions of generosity.
1747. Collins, Ode Passions, 28. ’Twas sad by fits, by starts ’twas wild.
1799. Ht. Lee, Canterb. Tales, Frenchm. Tale (ed. 2), I. 239. The letters he daily received … induced him, by starts, to betray [etc.].
1817. Coleridge, Biogr. Lit., II. xxii. 131. Let it likewise be shown how far the influence has acted; whether diffusively, or only by starts.
1841. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, lxvi. He … had watched with little intermission for some weeks past, sleeping only in the day by starts and snatches.
† c. On the start: ? suddenly, without warning.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, III. ii. 52. I haue felt so many quirkes of ioy and greefe, That the first face of neither on the start can woman me vntoo’t.
a. 1637. B. Jonson, Sad Shepherd, III. iv. My men shall hunt you too upon the start, And course you soundly.
d. A sudden fit of passion, grief, joy, madness, etc.; an outburst, sally, or flight of wit, humor or fancy. Now rare or Obs.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. ii. 125. Thou, that art like enough, through … the start of spleene, To fight against me.
a. 1652. Brome, Queen & Concubine, I. iii. (1659), 7. This is one of his un-to-be-examin’d hastie Humours, one of his starts.
1682. Dryden, Duke of Guise, II. i. I’ve heard you say, You’d arm against the League; why do you not? The thoughts of such as you, are starts divine.
1692. L’Estrange, Fables, cclxiii. 230. There are several Starts of Fancy, that Off-hand look well enough; but [etc.].
1713. Guardian, No. 103, ¶ 6. We were well enough pleased with this Start of Thought.
1772. Miss Burney, Early Diary (1889), I. 143. In defiance of the gloom his misfortunes have cast over him, some starts of his former, his native vivacity break out.
1790. Cowper, In Mem. J. Thornton, 41. Such was thy Charity; no sudden start, After long sleep of passion in the heart, But steadfast principle.
1802. H. Martin, Helen of Glenross, II. 134. Did you then know your sister liable to occasional starts of the infirmity that afterwards became rooted and declared incurable?
1816. L. Hunt, Rimini, IV. 131. A passionate start or tears and kindness.
1823. J. Simpson, Ricardo the Outlaw, II. 29. It was not a start of momentary passion, but an oath calmly, and deliberately taken.
e. A sudden broken utterance or burst of sound.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. ii. 22. Me thought her eyes had lost her tongue, For she did speake in starts distractedly.
1816. L. Hunt, Rimini, I. 103. Another start of trumpets, with reply.
1878. Gilder, Poet & Master, 57. Where he might listen to the starts and thrills Of birds that sang and rustled in the trees.
5. A beginning to move; a setting out on a journey or a race; the beginning of a career, of a course of action, a series of events, etc.
False start: in Racing, a wrong start, necessitating return to the starting-point; hence gen. an unsuccessful attempt to begin something (e.g., a speech, a song, a business).
1565. Gresham, in Burgon, Life (1839), II. 109. Beinge within xiiii mile of my howse of Rinxall, (whereas I make all my provision for my timber for the Burse,) I was so bolde [as] to make a starte to vewe the same.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. LXXXIX. x. While circling time, still ending and beginning, Shall runne the race where stopp nor start appeares.
1693. Prideaux, Lett. (Camden), 165. We have a young nobleman of our countey that now makes his first start in London.
1811. Sporting Mag., XXXVIII. 109. A great number of genteel folks attended the start.
1834. Marryat, P. Simple, xxi. The new moon’s quartered in with foul weather; if it holds, prepare for a start.
1845. Ford, Handbk. Spain, I. 63. There is nothing in life like making a good start.
1850. Smedley, Frank Fairlegh, xxxi. 260. Pilkington … was partly coaxed, partly coerced into attempting the only song he knew,… in which performance, after making four false starts,… he contrived … to get as far as the words [etc.].
1856. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Rural Sports, 370. If any jockey is evidently and wilfully the cause of a false start, the starter reports the same to the stewards, who have power to fine him.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., iv. (1877), 87. In the eyes of others too, his goodness would appear to have taken a fresh start.
1879. B. Taylor, Stud. Germ. Lit., 167. We found ourselves at the start, as in a rough land of mountains and dark fir forests, inhabited by a strong and simple race.
1911. G. P. Gooch, Hist. Our Time, x. 233. Women have voted in County Council elections from the start.
b. Phr. From start to finish.
1868. Field, 4 July, 14/3. A slashing race was rowed from start to finish between the two former [boats].
1895. ’Q’ [Quiller-Couch], Wandering Heath, 72. If you come to that, the whole thing was unusual, from start to finish.
1896. Spectator, 25 April, 580/1. The plot interest [of Dora Russell’s A Fatal Past], indeed, is very considerable, and is sustained from start to finish.
† c. To strain or draw on the start: of hounds, to strain on the leash. Obs.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., II. i. 32. I see you stand like Grey-hounds in the slips, Straying [Rowe straining] vpon the Start.
1622. Drayton, Poly-olb., XXIII. 338. And whilst the eager dogs vpon the Start doe draw, Shee riseth from her seat.
d. An act of setting in motion; an impulse to movement; a signal for starting in a race, etc.
1602. Shaks., Ham., IV. vii. 194. How much I had to doe to calme his rage? Now feare I this will giue it start againe.
c. 1612. in Hore’s Hist. Newmarket, (1885), I. 331. Lastlie, for givinge of the starte, either Mr. Sheriffes for the time being, or whom Mr. Maior will appointe.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, xvii. 123. The six starters were now at the post, and at the second attempt Mr. Watson let the flag go to one of his best starts.
1892. Photogr. Ann., II. 273. If plates are slightly larger than ordinary, they may be slow in moving, and it might be necessary to tap the camera to effect the start.
1897. Encycl. Sport, I. 65/1. [In the Tug-of-War] The start shall be by word of mouth.
1904. E. H. Coleridge, Life Ld. Coleridge, II. 107. If … Keble’s sermon on ‘National Apostacy’ … was the start or set-off of the Catholic Revival.
e. An opportunity or an assistance given for starting or entering on a career or course of action. Often a start in life.
1849. Ht. Martineau, Hist. Peace, IV. x. (1877), III. 75. All were to have a fresh start—to be allowed the free use of their best powers.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xviii. 171. The Norman Conquest may very well have given the native element a fresh start.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., lviii. II. 405. Nobody can get an early and easy start on the strength of his name and connections.
1902. Eliz. L. Banks, Newspaper Girl, xxviii. 310. Then, as I was not to be turned back, he took me on and gave me my start—a better start … than falls to the lot of many girls who begin the life journalistic.
1907. Verney Mem., I. 95. He was given a fresh start by his long-suffering father.
1908. Times, 20 July, 19/4. It … does not affect the special funds … for helping towards the education or start in life of clergy children.
f. The starting-point (of a journey).
1881. in J. Hatton’s ‘New Ceylon,’ vi. 166. From the morning’s start, the rapids, we only covered six miles.
6. Advantage gained by starting first in a race or on a journey; in wider sense, position in advance of competitors whether obtained at the beginning or in the course of a race, etc. Hence gen. priority or position in advance of others in any competitive undertaking. Chiefly in to get, have, † take the start (of a competitor); also with words indicating the amount in time or distance of the advantage, as in ten minutes start, ten yards start.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 418. Those, who hauing gotten the starte in a race, thinke none to be neere their heeles.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., V. v. 171. You have the start of me. Ibid. (1601), Jul. C., I. ii. 130. It doth amaze me, A man of such a feeble temper should So get the start of the Maiesticke world.
1608. D. T[uvill], Ess. Pol. & Mor., 45 b. As they haue the start of all men in the one: so loue they not to bee out-stript by any in the other.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XV. v. 39. But for all the running hast we made, a certaine wandering and flying fame had gotten the start of us.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, I. viii. § 2. 131. Hauing withall the start of 130 yeares, to raise themselues without controlement.
1665. Bunyan, Holy Citie (1669), 98. The Twelve will have the start of him; for they both had the Spirit as he, and more then he.
1682. Ken, Serm., Wks. (1838), 127. We were all travelling the same way, as pilgrims towards our heavenly country, she has only got the start of us, is gone before, and is happy first.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, vi. (1840), 108. Having … about three hundred yards the start of the lion.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, II. i. Our men had the start of him half a league.
1732. Kames, Decis. Crt. Sess. 1730–52 (1799), 11. Several of these creditors, taking the start, laid arrestments in the hands of the accepters of these bills.
1733. W. Ellis, Chiltern & Vale Farm., 278. Twitch-grass and other Weeds … got the start of the St. Foyn and kill’d it.
1746. Francis, trans. Hor., Sat., II. vi. 50. Be nimble to perform your part, Lest any rival get the start.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, X. vi. (Rtldg.), 351. I remained motionless for some seconds, which gave him time to get the start of me.
1812. Southey, Lett. (1856), II. 309. I have got start enough with Ballantyne to lay the Debates aside, and take a spell at Abella’s documents.
1826. Lamb, Pop. Fallacies, xiv. It is flattering to get the start of a lazy world.
1841. Thackeray, Gt. Hoggarty Diamond, iv. I did not go to the office till half an hour after opening time…. I was not sorry to let Hoskins have the start of me, and tell the chaps what had taken place.
1861. K. H. Digby, Chapel of St. John (1863), 169. She never suffered her imagination to get the start of her judgment.
1885. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ At Bay, v. The hopelessness of the search in the face of nearly twenty-four hours’ start.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 258. Ngouta and the Ajumba used to sit down … and I also, for a few minutes,… and then I would go on alone, thus getting a good start.
¶ b. In early use sometimes loosely: Superiority.
1611. B. Jonson, Catiline, III. ii. Here is a Lady, that hath got the start In piety, of vs all.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), I. V. xxvii. 164. I have bin shewn for Irish and Bascuence Imperfect rules couchd in an Accidence: But I find none of these can take the start Of Davies. Ibid., I. VI. xxxv. 224. Dr. Jorden hath got the start of any that ever wrote of this subject.
† 7. A starting aside; a deviation or digression.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, I. B 2. For all the laude of vertue standeth in effectuall exercyse, fro the whiche not withstandynge a sterte or pause maye be made [a qua tamen saepe fit intermissio].
1576. Fleming, trans. Caius’ Engl. Dogges, V. (1880), 37. A starte to outlandishe Dogges in this conclusion, not impertinent to the Authors purpose.
8. Mining. = LEAP sb.1 6.
1778. W. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 106. The most considerable disorder which Lodes are liable to … is what is termed a Start, a Leap.
1789. J. Williams, Min. Kingd., I. 354. The horizontal start or joint which cuts off the vein as they go down in it, does not cut it off in the true horizontal line, but leans or declines a little some way.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XII. 40/2. Sometimes a vein will suddenly disappear without giving any warning by, becoming narrower or of worse quality; which by the miners is called a start or leap.
† 9. U.S. The name of some game. Obs.
1788. J. Q. Adams, Diary (1903), 91. Afterwards play’d a number of very amusing sports, such as start.
10. Whaling. (See quots.)
Cf. sense 1 b; but direct connection seems very unlikely.
1836. Uncle Philip’s Convers. Whale Fishery, 48. He [the harpooner] thinks himself very fortunate when the fish rises within two hundred yards of him, for the fish is then said to ‘come up within a start.’
1846. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 146. The boats meanwhile separate … in order that one at least may be within ‘a start’—that is, about two hundred yards from the point of its rising.
11. slang. a. A prison, esp. Newgate.
1756. J. Cox, Narr. Thief-takers, 66. The Boy Swannick, the Prisoner, replied, that he was going to the Start for nimming a Cull in his Eye.
1796. Grose’s Dict. Vulgar T. (ed. 3), Start, or the Old Start, Newgate.
1823. ‘Jon Bee,’ Dict. Turf, s.v., The Start. Newgate is thus termed, par excellence. But every felon-prison would be equally a start.
b. The Start: a vagrants’ name for London.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 312. All the ‘regular bang-up fakes’ are manufactured in the ‘Start’ (metropolis).
1860. Hotten’s Slang Dict., 227. ‘The start,’ London,—the great starting point for beggars and tramps.
1862. Cornhill Mag., Nov., 648. I will send a few thickuns to bring you and your tamtart up to Start.
c. A proceeding or incident that causes surprise; = GO sb. 3.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xxii. What with your mother-in-law a worrying me to go, and what with my looking for’ard to seein’ some queer starts if I did, I put my name down for a ticket. Ibid. (1853), Bleak Ho., xi. Being asked what he thinks of the proceedings, [Little Swills] characterises them (his strength lying in a slangular direction) as ‘a rummy start.’
1857. A. Mayhew, Paved with Gold, III. xiv. Here’s a start! a reg’lar twicer!
1880. J. Payn, Confid. Agent, I. 138. That’s the rummest start I ever knew.
1905. Vachell, The Hill, vi. 136. ‘Of all the rum starts I——’
12. Comb.: † start-hole, the hole in which an animal takes shelter; = STARTING-HOLE; start-point rare = starting point; † start-while = sense 1.
1624. Heywood, Captives, I. iii. in Bullen, Old Plays, IV. 125. France shall not conteine them But I will finde theire *start-holes.
1876. Ruskin, Fors Clav., lxii. 59. I find myself … without any *startpoint for attempt to understand them.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 336. Þe þeof o þe rode … in one *sterthwule hefde of him milce.
