Begin

Definition: Begin

Begin

Noun

1. Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as Prime Minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt (1913-1992).

Verb

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".

2. 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".

3. 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".

4. Begin to speak or say; "Now listen, friends," he began.

5. Be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series; "The number "one" begins the sequence"; "A terrible murder begin the novel"; "The convocation ceremoney officially begins the semester".

6. Have a beginning, of a temporal event; "WWII began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland"; "The company's Asia tour begins next month".

7. 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 work-out"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony".

8. 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".

9. Achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative: "This economic measure doesn't even begin to deal with the problem of inflation"; "You cannot even begin to understand the problem we had to deal with during the war".

10. : begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language; "She began Russian at an early age"; "We started French in fourth grade".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "Begin" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Computing

Tips from 1870

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Begin

Beginning

Verb: begin, start, commence; conceive, open, dawn, set in, take its rise, enter upon, enter; set out; (depart); embark in; incept.

Begin at the beginning, begin ab ovo.

Begin again, begin de novo; start afresh, make a fresh start, take it from the top, shuffle the cards, reshuffle the cards, resume, recommence.

Continuance in action

Verb: be converted into; become, get, wax; come to, turn to, turn into, evolve into, develop into; turn out, lapse, shift; run into, fall into, pass into, slide into, glide into, grow into, ripen into, open into, resolve itself into, settle into, merge into, emerge as; melt, grow, come round to, mature, mellow; assume the form of, assume the shape of, assume the state of, assume the nature of, assume the character of; illapse; begin a new phase, assume a new phase, undergo a change.

Inactivity

Phrase: the eyes begin to draw straws; "bankrupt of life yet prodigal of ease"; " better years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay"; "idly busy rolls their world away "; "the mystery of folded sleep"; "the timely dew of sleep"; "thou driftest gently down the tides of sleep"; "tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep".

Pursuit

Verb: pursue, prosecute, follow; run after, make after, be after, hunt after, prowl after; shadow; carry on; (do); engage in; (undertake); set about; (begin); endeavor; court; (request) seek; (search); aim at; (intention); follow the trail; (trace); fish for; (experiment); press on; (haste); run a race; (velocity).

Repetition

Rehearse; do over again, say over again; ring the changes on; harp on the same string; din in the ear, drum in the ear; conjugate in all its moods tenses and inflexions, begin again, go over the same ground, go the same round, never hear the last of; resume, return to, recapitulate, reword.

Undertaking

Take up, take in hand; tackle; set about, go about; set to, fall to, set to work; launch forth; set up shop; put in hand, put in execution; set forward; break the neck of a business, be in, for; put one's hand to, put one's foot in; betake oneself to, turn one's hand to, go to do; begin; broach, one's (originate); put one's hand to the plow, lay one's hand to the plow, put one's shoulder to the wheel.

Unskillfulness

Begin at the wrong end; do things by halves; (not complete); make two bites of a cherry; play at cross purposes; strain at a gnat and swallow a camel; (caprice); put the cart before the horse; lock the stable door when the horse is stolen; (too late).

Crosswords: Begin

Afrikaan (begin, beginning, commence, commencement, does start, start), Dutch (beginning, commencement, inception, opening, outset, start).

If it doesn't, then it was never yours to begin with (Indecent Proposal; writing credit: Amy Holden Jones)

We can't begin this way. Let me turn on the light (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles; writing credit: Anne Rice)

When will I begin to live again (Moulin Rouge!; writing credit: Baz Luhrmann; Craig Pearce)

Let the mayhem begin. (Tomorrow Never Dies; writing credit: Bruce Feirstein)

Every search for a hero must begin with something which every hero requires, a villain (Mission: Impossible II; writing credit: Bruce Geller; Ronald D. Moore)

then my life can finally begin (Precious Illusions; performing artist: Alanis Morissette)

When does my someday begin (When Can I See You; performing artist: Babyface; writing credit: Babyface)

Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline (We Didn't Start The Fire; performing artist: Billy Joel)

And then begin (Hook; performing artist: Blues Traveler)

I don't know where to begin (Living In Sin; performing artist: Bon Jovi)

When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it's a sure sign you're getting old. (references; author: Mark Twain)

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers (references; author: unknown)

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with? (references; author: unknown)

A friend is someone that won't begin to talk behind your back when you leave the room. (references; author: unknown)

After hearing two eyewitness accounts of the same accident, you begin to wonder about history. (references; author: unknown)

Het Einde van het begin (1972)

Out Where the Stars Begin (1938)

Where Trails Begin (1927)

Begin the Beguine (2003)

Let the Games Begin (2001)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Begin Life Together: Six Sessions on God's Purposes for Your Life (Doing Life Together) (reference)

• Begin With the Brain: Orchestrating the Learner-Centered Classroom (reference)

• Boundaries: Where You End and I Begin (reference)

• Let The Journey Begin God's Roadmap For New Beginnings (reference)

• To Begin Where I Am (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Apollo 15: The Great Explorations Begin (reference)

• Monster Rancher - Let the Games Begin (Vol. 1) (reference)

• The Movies Begin - A Treasury of Early Cinema, 1894-1913 (reference)

• Finnegan Begin Again (reference)

• The Movies Begin, Vol. 1 - The Great Train Robbery & Other Primary Works (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Begin Sweet World (reference)

• Because We Hate You/Let the War Against Music Begin (reference)

• Begin the Beguine (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Six-step sequence of the death of a cancer cell. A cancer cell has migrated through the holes of a matrix coated membrane from the top to the bottom, simulating natural migration of a invading cancer cell between, and sometimes through, the vascular endothelium. Notice the spikes or pseudopodia that are characteristic of an invading cancer cell (1). A buffy coat containing red blood cells, lymphocytes and macrophages is added to the bottom of the membrane. A group of macrophages identify the cancer cell as foreign matter and start to stick to the cancer cell, which still has its spikes (2). Macrophages begin to fuse with, and inject its toxins into, the cancer cell. The cell starts rounding up and loses its spikes (3). As the macrophage cell becomes smooth (4). The cancer cell appears lumpy in the last stage before it dies. These lumps are actually the macrophages fused within the cancer cell (5). The cancer cell then loses its morphology, shrinks up and dies (6). Photo magnification: 1: x12,000; 2: x4,000; 3: x8,000; 4: x26,000; 5: x56,000; 6: x14,000. Credit: Susan Arnold (photographer).

Natural history of common acquired nevi. Ordinary moles begin as uniformly tan or brown macules, 1 to 2 mm in diameter (a), expand to a larger macule (b), progress to a pigmented papule that may be minimally (c) or obviously (d) elevated above the surface of the skin, and terminate as a pink or flesh-colored papule (e). These lesions are junctional (a,b), compound (c,d), and dermal (e) nevi, respectively. Note their smooth borders and clear demarcation from the surrounding skin. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist.

The CDC moved its location to Clifton Road after construction was completed in 1960. In 1947, Emory University donated the land on Clifton Road for the new CDC headquarters, but construction did not begin for more than a decade. Credit: CDC.

The schizont stages of Plasmodium spp. development include the formation of merozoites, which in this case, are ready to be released back into the blood to once again begin schizogony, infecting new red blood cells, or grow into gametocytes. Credit: CDC.

Navy frogmen swim to spacecraft to begin retrieval. Credit: NASA.

The Sapelo Island visitor center near Meridian Dock on the Georgia mainland. Tours of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve begin here. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Menhaden fishing - purse seiner boats ready to begin closing the purse. Credit: Fisheries.

Peter Clark of Tampa Baywatch, left, addresses volunteers at the staging area before the workers depart to begin the clean-up. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center.

Scientists and project personnel arrive at Devils Rock to begin placing decoys to attract common murres. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center.

Intense low-level convection over the Gulf of Mexico as extremely cold air flows over warmer Gulf of Mexico waters. Very narrow parallel cloud bands begin near the northern shore and become much larger convective elements to the south. TIROS X photograph, pass 3039/3038, camera 1, frame 7. Picture of the Month, "Monthly Weather Review," July 1966. Credit: NOAA in Space.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

All men, say they, are born under government, and therefore they cannot be at liberty to begin a new one. (Second Treatise of Government)

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day. (reference)

Thereupon the workers begin to form combinations (Trades Unions) against the bourgeois; they club together in order to keep up the rate of wages; they found permanent associations in order to make provision beforehand for these occasional revolts. (reference)

They shall begin to run again at earliest three months after the coming into force of the present Treaty. (reference)

In such a matter we can only go step by step, but we must begin now. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

But let us begin. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

After some attempts, therefore, to be permitted to begin again, they were obliged to thank Mrs. Weston, look sorrowful, and have done

We will start as we did before, but not begin counting till our trains meet

It was with great astonishment, and with a strange, inexplicable dread, that as he looked, he saw this bell begin to swing

The neighbourhood would begin to rouse itself

Sometimes in the midst of his work in the galleys he would stop, and begin to think

During these halts Stephen stood awkwardly behind the two men, weary of the subject and waiting restlessly for the slow march to begin again

I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl

I observed by his countenance that he was in some perplexity, and at a loss how to begin what he had to speak

It is time that we had uncommon schools, that we did not leave off our education when we begin to be men and women

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Most TD cases begin abruptly. (references)

Several types of epilepsy begin in infancy. (references)

Your symptoms may begin soon after surgery. (references)

Business

Popular cruises sold here are those which begin from Miami. (references)

In many cases, the agency requests a retainer to begin providing services. (references)

Once registered, the company should begin to assemble the proposal package. (references)

Children

Guatemala

Only one of eight girls who begin school graduates from the 6th grade. (references)

Peru

Pregnant school-age girls have the right to begin or continue attending school. (references)

Croatia

An estimated 10 percent of Croatian Romani children begin primary school, and of these only 10 percent go on to secondary school. (references)

Civil Liberties

Ukraine

Intensive international scrutiny has led government authorities to begin addressing their relations with the media. (references)

Kuwait

In order to begin publication of a newspaper, the publisher must obtain an operating license from the Ministry of Information. (references)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prewar residents continued to wait to return to these apartments, while authorities encouraged occupants to begin the purchasing process. (references)

Economic History

Algeria

Winter rains begin in the north in October. (references)

Botswana

The academy is scheduled to begin operation in 2001. (references)

Israel

As head of Likud, Menachem Begin became Prime Minister. (references)

Human Rights

Brazil

The Federal Police announced that it would begin an investigation into the reports. (references)

Kenya

The law does not stipulate the period within which the trial of a charged suspect must begin. (references)

Tanzania

The Commission did not begin functioning until late in the year, and it did not hear any cases by year's end. (references)

Minorities

Iraq

The Kurdish administrations also require that all school children begin learning Arabic in primary school. (references)

Kuwait

A law passed in June 2000 required bidoon to register by June 27, 2000 to begin a process in which they could be documented as citizens. (references)

Sri Lanka

During 1999, the Government introduced a program to begin registering these individuals; 15,300 Hill Tamils received identity cards between January and September 30. Some critics charged that the program did not progress fast enough. (references)

Political Economy

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Enforcement efforts did not begin in earnest until 1994. (references)

Sudan

They were scheduled to begin operating in 2002 under the Ministry of Justice. (references)

Libya

Megrahi has appealed the conviction; the appeal is scheduled to begin in January 2002. (references)

Political Rights

Burundi

In July President Buyoya and the regional leaders signed an agreement to begin the 3-year transition period on November 1. According to the terms of the agreement, on November 1, Buyoya was sworn in as president and Domitien Ndayizeye, the secretary general of FRODEBU, was sworn in as vice president. (references)

Trade

New Zealand

It is scheduled to begin operations in early 2002. (references)

Armenia

The increased requirements and competition force the banks to begin to meet international standards. (references)

Travel

West Bank

Jewish holidays begin at sunset the day before. (references)

Vietnam

Meetings generally begin with the principal guest making introductory remarks. (references)

Chile

Although social occasions rarely begin at the indicated time, business meetings nearly always do. (references)

Worker Rights

Indonesia

Many begin working when they are between 14 and 16 years old. (references)

Cameroon

In rural areas, many children begin work at an early age on family farms. (references)

Nicaragua

The 1996 Labor Code raised the age at which children may begin working with parental permission from 12 to 14 years. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "Begin": be eager to begin ♦ begin a new phase ♦ begin ab ovo ♦ begin again ♦ begin at the beginning ♦ begin at the wrong end ♦ begin by doing smth. ♦ begin event ♦ begin on smth. ♦ begin singing ♦ begin talks ♦ begin the world ♦ begin to ♦ begin to bark ♦ begin to blow ♦ begin to creep ♦ begin to cry ♦ begin to dance ♦ begin to drip ♦ begin to gape ♦ begin to grow ♦ begin to growl ♦ begin to guess ♦ begin to laugh ♦ begin to leak ♦ begin to live ♦ begin to play ♦ begin to roar ♦ begin to seethe ♦ begin to sing ♦ begin to smoke ♦ begin to spin round ♦ begin to walk ♦ begin to wonder ♦ begin with ♦ cycle begin ♦ Menachem Begin ♦ not begin to ♦ to begin with. Additional references.

Beginning with "Begin": begin-attribute, begin-end, begin-with.

Ending with "Begin": where-to-begin.

Afrikaans

instel (commence, start), begin (beginning, commence, commencement, does start, start). (various references)

Albanian

filloj (come, commence, develop, embark, enter, fall into, fall on, fall to, get, get down, initiate, lead off, open, originate, rise, set about, set in, set to, set up, start, strike up). (various references)

Arabic 

‏إستهل (commence, initialize, institute, launch, lead off, open, preface, set, start, strike up), ‏أخذ في, ‏شرع (commence, fall to, legislate, proceed, set about, set upon, start, tackle, undertake), ‏بدأ (begin on smth., commence, fall to, incept, initialize, initiate, institute, launch, lead, lead off, proceed, set, set about, set in, start, start off, tackle, take, take in, tee). (various references)

Basque

hasi (begin to). (various references)

Blackfoot

omatap (to begin). (various references)

Bulgarian 

започвам (come in, commence, enter, enter on, fall to, get under way, handsel, initiate, institute, jump off, kick off, lead, lead off, open, preface, premise, roll, set in, set out on, set up, settle in, start off, start up, take off, tee off, teethe, trigger), почвам (dawn, get going, go, go ahead, launch, start), подхващам (approach, tackle, take up, undertake), подкарвам (compel, drive, herd on, punch, spur on, start, urge forward, whip up), подемам (follow up, lift up, take up). (various references)

Catalan

començar (commence, start). (various references)

Chinese 

開創 (initiate), 開始 (beginning, initial, start), 掀起 (lift, raise in height), 开始 (Began, Begun, Commence, Commenced, Commencement, Commencing, inaugurate, Inaugurated, Inaugurating, inception, start, started, starting, start-off), 創 (a wound, create, cut, inaugurate, initiate, injury, start, trauma), 始 , 俶 . (various references)

Croatian

poèinje. (various references)

Czech

zanotovat (intonate, intone), založit (base, constitute, establish, file, float, found, ground, institute, launch, mislay, plant, set up, start, start up, wedge), zahájit (commence, go off, handsel, inaugurate, Initialize, initiate, introduce, launch, lead off, preface, start), zaèít s, zaèít (commence, embark on, fall to, give a start, go, go off, inaugurate, initiate, kick off, open, originate, start, take up), vzniknout (come into being, develop, form, originate), rozpoutat (break, touch off, unleash), rozeèíst, otevřít (inaugurate, open, start, start up, throw, unbar, unbolt, unclose, uncork, undo, unlock, unseal), navázat (accost, establish, make, raise, strike up), naèít (broach, start, tap). (various references)

Danish

begynde (commence, start). (various references)

Dutch

beginnen (come on, commence, set in, start), aanvangen (commence, start), aanbinden (commence, fasten, moor, start, tie, tie on). (various references)

Esperanto

komenciĝi (commence, start), komenci (commence, start), eki (come on, set in, start). (various references)

Faeroese

byrja (commence, start), verða byrjaður (commence, start). (various references)

Farsi 

اغازنهادن , اغازکردن (Birth, Commence, Inaugurate, Incept, Inchoate, Initial, Set, Sparkplug), اغازشدن (Dawn), شروع کردن (Commence, Embark, Launch, Start). (various references)

Finnish

aloittaa (begin start, commence, initiate, lead, lead off, set up, start), alkaa (come on, commence, commence hostilities, enter upon, have its source, lopettaa vihollisuudet, originate, set about, set in, start, starts). (various references)

French

commencer (begin on smth.), débuter. (various references)

Frisian

begjinne (commence, start), oanpakke (approach, assault, commence, deal with, start, tackle, violate), oangean (burn, catch, commence, flash on, start, strike, take fire), oanfange (commence, start), oanbrekke (commence, start). (various references)

German

beginnen (commence, do, enterprise, inaugurate, initiate, kick off, open, plan, scheme, set about, start, start off, start out, to begin (began, to commence, to initiate, to set in, to start, to start (for)), anfangen (commence, fall, launch forth, launch out, move in, open, set about, start, start off, start out, start up, to begin, to begin (began, to set off, to start), anbrechen (break into, broach, close in, commence, crack, cut into, dawn, fall, open, start). (various references)

Greek 

αρχίζω (come on, commence, go on, start). (various references)

Haitian Creole

kòmanse. (various references)

Hawaiian

filloj (commence, start). (various references)

Hebrew 

לפתוח (loosen, open, preface, start, unbar, uncover, unroll, untie), להתחיל (break ground, commence, launch, open), להואיל (agree, be consent, be willing, resolve), להחל (commence, initiate, start), התחיל (start). (various references)