start 
5910 
root unknown ; some derive it from the root of starting-engine (stiir'ting-en' ! 'jin), n. A small 
start 1 , in the sense 'project' or 'turn'; others low-pressure engine sometimes connected with 
compare Gr. <rropWjf, MGr. oro/iffy, a point, tine, a large marine engine, and used to start it. 
tag of hair, etc.] If. A tail ; the tail of an ani- Sometimes called starting strum-cylinder. 
mal: thus, redsfor Ms literally redtaiV. 2. Some- starting-holet (star'ting-hol), . [Early mod. 
thing resembling a tail; a handle: as, a plow- E.stcrting-hole; < starting + hole 1 .] A loophole; 
start (or plow-tail). 3. The sharp point of a 
young stag's horn. E. Phillips (under broach). 
4. In mining, the beam or lever to which the 
horse is attached in a horse-whim or gin 
evasion; subterfuge; dodge; refuge. 
Some, which seke for sterling-holes to mainteine their 
vices, will objecte. Sir T. Klyot, The Governour, ii. 9. 
What trick, what device, what starting-hole, canst thou 
now find out to hide thee from this open and apparent 
shame* Shalt., 1 Hen. IV., ii. 4. 290. 
[North. Eng.J 6. In an overshot water-wheel, 
one of the partitions which determine the form 
of the bucket. E. H. Knight. 6f. A stalk, as startingly(star'ting-li),adi>. By fits aud starts ; 
of an apple. Palsgrave. impetuously ; mtemperately. Shale., Othello, 
tartail (stiir'tal), n. A sailors' name for the "' 4. 79. 
tropic-bird. See cut under Plmelltoii. starting-place (star'ting-plas), . A place at 
They also call It by the name of star-tail, on account of f hich a . s * art or beginning is made ; a place 
from which one starts or sets out. 
Asham'd, when I have ended well my race, 
To be led back to my first starting-place. 
SirJ. Denham, Old Age, i. 
the long projecting tail feathers. 
J. G. Wood, Illust. Nat. Hist., II. 756. 
Starter (star'ter), H. [< start 1 + -er 1 .] One 
who or that which starts, (a) One who shrinks . 
from his purpose; one who suddenly brings forward a Starting-point (star ting-point), n. 
question or an objection. (6) One who takes to flight or * 
runs away ; a runaway. 
Nay, nay, you need not bolt and lock so fast ; 
She is no starter. 
Heywood, If you Know not Me (Works, ed. Pearson, 1. 213). 
,, . ,, The point 
from which any one or anything starts ; point 
of departure. 
Starting-post (star'ting-post), . The point or 
line, marked out by a post or otherwise, from 
which competitors start in a race or contest. 
fa One who sets out on a Journey, a pursuit, arace, or the 8ta rting-Valve (star'ting-valv), . A small 
We are early starters in the dawn, even when we have valve sometimes introduced for moving the 
the luck to have good beds to sleep in. mam valves of a steam-engine in starting it. 
Scott, Rob Hoy, xxxv. starting-wheel (star'ting-hwel), n. A wheel 
(d) One who or that which sets persons or things in motion, which actuates the valves that start an engine, 
as a person who gives the signal for a race, or for the start- startish (star'tish), a. [< start 1 + -ish 1 .] Apt 
ing of a coach, car, boat, or other conveyance, or a lever i . j f u 
or rod for setting an engine or a machine in motion. 8 * art ' sklttlsh ! shy : said of horses. 
iglne or a machine in motion. ----., =^.^.= u , ..,,. <.. u v/i ,,..,.-.-. [Col- 
There is one starter, . . who, either by word or by pis- i 
tol-report, starts each race. The Century XL 205 Startle (star tl), v. ; pret. and pp. startled, ppr. 
startling. [< ME. startlen, stertlen, stertyllen; 
freq. of start 1 .'] I. intrans. 1. To start; mani- 
fest fear, alarm, surprise, pain, or similar emo- 
tion by a sudden involuntary start. 
At first she startles, then she stands amaz'd ; 
At last with terror she from thence doth fly. 
Sir J . Dames, Immortal, of Soul, Int. 
She changed colour and startled at everything she heard. 
Addison, Spectator, No. x 
2. To wince ; shrink. 
Physic, or mathematics, . . . 
(e) A dog that starts game ; a springer; a cocker. Bung 
starter. See bung-starter. 
Startful (start'ful), o. [< start 1 + -/?.] Apt 
to start; easily startled or frightened ; skittish. 
[Rare.] 
Say, virgin, where dost thou delight to dwell? 
With maids of honour, startful virgin ? tell. 
Wolcot (P. Pindar), Ode to Affectation. 
startfulness (starffiil-nes), n. The quality or 
state of being startful, or easily startled. 
[Rare.] 
Star-thistle (star'this'l), n. A low spreading 
weed, Centaurea Calcitrapa, with small heads of 
purple flowers, the involucral bracts ending in ened. 
stiff spines, the leaves also spiny: in one form 
called mouse-thorn. According to Prior the name (by 
him applied to C. solstitialis, a more erect plant with yel- 
low flowers, sometimes named yellow star-thistle) arises 
She will endure, and never startle. 
B. Jonson, Alchemist, iv. 1. 
3. To move suddenly, as if surprised or fright- 
The Upper Part of the Stem with the Heads of Star thistle 
(CeHttturta Calcitrapa). 
a, one of the involucral scales. 
from the resemblance of the spiny involucre to the weapon 
Sterttinff from hir traunce, 
I wil reuenge (quoth she). 
Oascoigne, Complaint of Philomene. 
If a dead leaf startle behind me, 
I think 'tis your garment's hem. 
Lowell, The Broken Tryst. 
4. To take to flight, as in panic ; stampede, as 
cattle. 
And the heerd starteled, and ran hedlyng into the see. 
Tyndale, Mark v. 13. 
5. To take departure ; depart ; set out. [Ob- 
solete or provincial.] 
A gret stertling he mycht haiff seyne 
Off schlppys. Harbour, Bruce, Hi. 170. 
Or by Madrid he takes the route, . . . 
Or down Italian vista startles. 
Burns, The Twa Dogs. 
II. trans. 1. To cause to start; excite by 
sudden surprise, alarm, apprehension, or other 
emotion; scare; shock. 
I confess I have perused them all, and can discover 
nothing that may startle a discreet belief. 
Sir T. Browne, Eeligio Medici, 1. 21. 
Like the inhabitants of a city who have been just 
startled by some strange and alarming news. 
Scott, Kenil worth, d. 
2. To rouse suddenly ; cause to start, as from 
a place of concealment or from a state of re- 
pose or security. 
Let me thy vigils keep 
'Mongst boughs pavilioned, where the deer's swift leap 
Startles the wild bee from the foxglove bell. 
Keats, Sonnets, iv. 
______________ r _ t ___________ m _ - M . K u 
called a morning-star. Both of these plants are'sparingly Tn garrison, startled from sleep, found the enemy al- 
naturalized in the United States, the former on the east- ready masters of the towers. Irving, Granada, p. 31. 
ern the latter on the western coast. The name is extended startlp fstiir'tn n T< stsirflf n 1 A ,11.,, 
to the genus, of which one species, C. Cyanus, is the blue- S1;arwe ( s \ al *f ^ Startle, V.] A sudden 
bottle or corn-flower (the KornMume of the Germans with mov enient or shock caused by surprise, alarm, 
whom it has patriotic associations), another is the blessed or apprehension of danger; a start. 
spangled with the scales of the gorget, like 
many other hummers. 
Starting-bar (star'ting-biir), u. A hand-lever 
for moving the valves in starting a steam- 
engine. 
starting-bolt (star'ting-bolt), M. A rod or bolt 
used to drive out another; adrift-bolt. E. H. 
,. !r),. [< startle + -er 1 .'] 1. One 
who or that which starts or is startled. [Rare. ] 
When, dazzled by the eastern glow, 
Such startler cast his glance below, 
And saw unmeasured depth around. 
Scott, L. of the L., ii. 31. 
2. That which startles: as, that was a startler. 
[Colloq.] 
startling (start'ling), p. a. [Ppr. of startle, .] 
1 . That startles or that excites sudden surprise, 
starve 
apprehension, fear, or like emotion; that rouses 
or suddenly and forcibly attracts attention : as, 
startling news; a startling discovery. 
It was startling to hear all at once the sound of voices 
singing a solemn hymn. 
D. Taylor, Northern Travel, p. 42. 
2f. Easily startled or alarmed; skittish; shying. 
Ther was also the lorde of the white tour, that was a 
noble knyght and an hardy, with vij hundred knyghtes 
vpon startelinge stedes. Merlin. (E. E. T. S.), ii. 257. 
The Tyranny of Prelates under the name of Hishops have 
made our eares tender and startling. 
Miltun, Reformation in Eng., ii. 
startlingly (stiirt'ling-li), orfc. In a startling 
manner; surprisingly. 
But who could this be, to whom mere human sympathy 
was so gtartlingly sweet? Curtis, Prue and I, p. 155. 
Startlish (start'lish), a. [< startle + -ish 1 .] 
Apt to start; skittish. [Colloq.] 
Star-trap (stiir'trap), . A trap-door on the 
stage of a theater for the disappearance of 
gymnastic characters. It consists of five or more 
pointed pieces which part when pressure is applied to the 
center. 
Start-up 1 ! (start'up), a. and n. [< start tip : see 
start 1 , v.~] I. a. Upstart. 
Two junior start-up societies' Swtfl, Tale of a Tub, 1. 
Whoever weds Isabella, It shall not be Father Falcona- 
ra's start-up son. Walpole, Castle of Otranto, Iv. 
II. . One who comes suddenly into notice ; 
an upstart. 
That young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow. 
Shak., Much Ado, 1. 3. 60. 
Startup 2 ! (start'up), w. [Usually in pi. start- 
ups, also sometimes startopes; origin uncer- 
tain.] A half-boot or buskin, described in the 
sixteenth century as laced above the ankle. 
Guestres [gaiters], startups; high shooes, or gamashes for 
countrey folks. Cotgrave. 
Her neat fit startups of green Velvet bee, 
Flourisht with silver ; and beneath the knee, 
Moon-like, indented ; butt'ned down the side 
With Orient Pearls as big as Filberd's pride. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, II., The Decay. 
A stupid lout ... in a grey jerkin, with his head bare, 
his hose about his heels, and huge startups upon his feet. 
Scott, Kenilworth, rxlv. 
Starvation (star-va'shon), n. [< starve + -ation. 
The word is noted as one of the first (flirtation 
being another) to be formed directly from a 
native E. verb with the L. term, -ation. It was 
first used or brought into notice by Henry 
Dundas, first Viscount Melville (hence called 
"Starvation Dundas"), in a speech on Ameri- 
can affairs, in 1775.] The state of starving or 
being starved ; extreme suffering from cold or 
hunger; hence, deprivation of any element es- 
sential to nutrition or the proper discharge of 
the bodily functions : often used figuratively of 
mental or spiritual needs. 
Starvation Dundas, whose pious policy suggested that 
the devil of rebellion could be expelled only by fasting. 
Walpole, To Rev. W. Mason, April 25, 1781. 
Starvation was an epithet applied to Mr. Dundas, the 
word being, for the first time, introduced into our lan- 
guage by him, In a speech, in 1775, in an American debate, 
and thenceforward became a nickname : . . . "I shall not 
wait for the advent of starvation from Edinburgh to settle 
my judgment." Mitford, in Walpole's Letters (ed. Cun- 
[ningnam), VIII. 30, note. 
Whether an animal be herbivorous or carnivorous, it be- 
gins to starve from the moment its vital food-stuffs con- 
sist of pure amyloids, or fats, or any mixture of them. It 
suffers from what may be called nitrogen starvation. 
Huxley and Youmans, Physiol., $ 170. 
Starve (starv), v. ; pret. and pp. starved, ppr. 
starving. [Early mod. E. also sterve ; < ME. 
sterven, steorven (pret. starf, sterf, pp. stamen, 
storven, i-storve, y-storve), < AS. steorfan (pret. 
stearf, pi. sturfon, pp. storfen), die, = OS. 
sterbhan = OFries. sterva = D. sterren = MLG. 
sterven, LG. starven, sterven = OHG. sterban, 
MHG. G. sterben, die ; not found in Goth, or 
Scand., except as in the derived Icel. starf, 
trouble, labor, toil, work, starfa, toil, work, 
stjarfi, epilepsy (= AS. steorfa, E. dial, starf, a 
plague), which indicate that the verb orig. 
meant 'labor, be in trouble'; cf. Gr. ol /ta//oVrcf, 
the dead, lit. ' those who have labored,' < Kauvsiv, 
labor, toil.] I. intrans. 1+. To die; perish. 
She star/ for wo neigh whan she wente. 
Chaucer, Troilus, iv. 1419. 
He starf in grete age disherited, as the story witnesseth. 
Merlin (E. E. T. H.\ iii. 401. 
Specifically 2. To perish from lack of food or 
nourishment; die of hunger; also, to suffer from 
lack of food ; pine with hunger ; famish ; suffer 
extreme poverty. 
Starves in the midst of nature's bounty curst, 
And in the loaden vineyard dies for thirst. 
Addison, Letter from Italy. 
