The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

start \start\ (st[aum]rt), v. i. [imp. & p. p. started; p. pr.
   & vb. n. starting.] [OE. sterten; akin to D. storten to
   hurl, rush, fall, G. st["u]rzen, OHG. sturzen to turn over,
   to fall, Sw. st["o]rta to cast down, to fall, Dan. styrte,
   and probably also to E. start a tail; the original sense
   being, perhaps, to show the tail, to tumble over suddenly.
   [root]166. Cf. Start a tail.]
   1. To leap; to jump. [Obs.]
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   2. To move suddenly, as with a spring or leap, from surprise,
      pain, or other sudden feeling or emotion, or by a
      voluntary act.
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            And maketh him out of his sleep to start. --Chaucer.
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            I start as from some dreadful dream.  --Dryden.
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            Keep your soul to the work when ready to start
            aside.                                --I. Watts.
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            But if he start,
            It is the flesh of a corrupted heart. --Shak.
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   3. To set out; to commence a course, as a race or journey; to
      begin; as, to start in business.
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            At once they start, advancing in a line. --Dryden.
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            At intervals some bird from out the brakes
            Starts into voice a moment, then is still. --Byron.
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   4. To become somewhat displaced or loosened; as, a rivet or a
      seam may start under strain or pressure.
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   To start after, to set out after; to follow; to pursue.

   To start against, to act as a rival candidate against.

   To start for, to be a candidate for, as an office.

   To start up, to rise suddenly, as from a seat or couch; to
      come suddenly into notice or importance.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Start \Start\, n. [OE. stert a tail, AS. steort; akin to LG.
   stert, steert, D. staart, G. sterz, Icel. stertr, Dan.
   stiert, Sw. stjert. [root]166. Cf. Stark naked, under
   Stark, Start, v. i.]
   1. A tail, or anything projecting like a tail.
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   2. The handle, or tail, of a plow; also, any long handle.
      [Prov. Eng.]
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   3. The curved or inclined front and bottom of a water-wheel
      bucket.
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   4. (Mining) The arm, or lever, of a gin, drawn around by a
      horse.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Start \Start\, n.
   1. 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.
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            The fright awakened Arcite with a start. --Dryden.
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   2. A convulsive motion, twitch, or spasm; a spasmodic effort.
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            For she did speak in starts distractedly. --Shak.
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            Nature does nothing by starts and leaps, or in a
            hurry.                                --L'Estrange.
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   3. A sudden, unexpected movement; a sudden and capricious
      impulse; a sally; as, starts of fancy.
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            To check the starts and sallies of the soul.
                                                  --Addison.
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   4. 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.
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            The start of first performance is all. --Bacon.
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            I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
            Straining upon the start.             --Shak.
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   At a start, at once; in an instant. [Obs.]
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            At a start he was betwixt them two.   --Chaucer.
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   To get the start, or To have the start, to begin before
      another; to gain or have the advantage in a similar
      undertaking; -- usually with of. "Get the start of the
      majestic world." --Shak. "She might have forsaken him if
      he had not got the start of her." --Dryden.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Start \Start\ (st[aum]rt), v. t.
   1. 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.
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            Upon malicious bravery dost thou come
            To start my quiet?                    --Shak.
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            Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar.
                                                  --Shak.
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   2. To bring into being or into view; to originate; to invent.
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            Sensual men agree in the pursuit of every pleasure
            they can start.                       --Sir W.
                                                  Temple.
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   3. 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.
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            I was engaged in conversation upon a subject which
            the people love to start in discourse. --Addison.
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   4. 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.
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            One, by a fall in wrestling, started the end of the
            clavicle from the sternum.            --Wiseman.
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   5. [Perh. from D. storten, which has this meaning also.]
      (Naut.) To pour out; to empty; to tap and begin drawing
      from; as, to start a water cask.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

START \START\ (st[aum]rt), n. [From Strategic Arms Reduction
   Treaty.]
   A Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union which
   provided for stepwise reductions in the number of nuclear
   weapons possessed by each country.
   [PJC]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

start
    n 1: the beginning of anything; "it was off to a good start"
    2: the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got
       an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the
       man for her" [syn: beginning, commencement, first,
       outset, get-go, start, kickoff, starting time,
       showtime, offset] [ant: end, ending, middle]
    3: a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning); "he got
       his start because one of the regular pitchers was in the
       hospital"; "his starting meant that the coach thought he was
       one of their best linemen" [syn: start, starting]
    4: a sudden involuntary movement; "he awoke with a start" [syn:
       startle, jump, start]
    5: the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the
       beginning of negotiations" [syn: beginning, start,
       commencement] [ant: finish, finishing]
    6: a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a
       game [syn: start, starting line, scratch, scratch
       line]
    7: a signal to begin (as in a race); "the starting signal was a
       green light"; "the runners awaited the start" [syn: starting
       signal, start]
    8: the advantage gained by beginning early (as in a race); "with
       an hour's start he will be hard to catch" [syn: start,
       head start]
    v 1: take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We
         began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as
         soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to
         arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's
         get down to work now" [syn: get down, begin, get,
         start out, start, set about, set out, commence]
         [ant: end, terminate]
    2: set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the
       Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new
       chapter in your life" [syn: begin, lead off, start,
       commence] [ant: end, terminate]
    3: leave; "The family took off for Florida" [syn: depart,
       part, start, start out, set forth, set off, set
       out, take off]
    4: have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative
       sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second
       movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes
       start at $250,000" [syn: begin, start] [ant: cease,
       end, finish, stop, terminate]
    5: bring into being; "He initiated a new program"; "Start a
       foundation" [syn: originate, initiate, start]
    6: get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked
       on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good
       breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon
       session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the
       partisans launched a surprise attack" [syn: start, start
       up, embark on, commence]
    7: move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm; "She
       startled when I walked into the room" [syn: startle,
       jump, start]
    8: get going or set in motion; "We simply could not start the
       engine"; "start up the computer" [syn: start, start up]
       [ant: stop]
    9: begin or set in motion; "I start at eight in the morning";
       "Ready, set, go!" [syn: start, go, get going] [ant:
       halt, stop]
    10: begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job;
        "Take up a position"; "start a new job" [syn: start, take
        up]
    11: play in the starting lineup
    12: have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The
        novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the
        three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The
        semester begins with a convocation ceremony" [syn: begin,
        start]
    13: begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or
        inherent function of the direct object; "begin a cigar";
        "She started the soup while it was still hot"; "We started
        physics in 10th grade" [syn: begin, start]
    14: bulge outward; "His eyes popped" [syn: start, protrude,
        pop, pop out, bulge, bulge out, bug out, come
        out]