begin

[bih-gin] /bɪˈgɪn/
verb (used without object), began, begun, beginning.
1.
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start:
The story begins with their marriage.
2.
to come into existence; arise; originate:
The custom began during the Civil War.
verb (used with object), began, begun, beginning.
3.
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action):
Begin the job tomorrow.
4.
to originate; be the originator of:
civic leaders who began the reform movement.
5.
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive):
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan to begin, perhaps orig. to open, akin to yawn
Synonyms
3. Begin, commence, initiate, start (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. Begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. Commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. Initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure. Start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street. 4. institute, inaugurate, initiate.
Antonyms
1. end.

Begin

[bey-gin] /ˈbeɪ gɪn/
noun
1.
Menachem
[muh-nah-khuh m] /məˈnɑ xəm/ (Show IPA), 1913–92, Israeli political leader, born in Poland: prime minister 1977–83; Nobel Peace Prize 1978.
Examples from the web for begin
  • Start grilling the cap with the gill side down until the juices begin to seep.
  • Tests of the vaccine in monkeys are slated to begin next month, and human trials could start before the year is out.
  • When pineapple leaves start to grow, begin fertilizing.
  • If you've never grown heirlooms before and don't know where to begin, start with a sampler.
  • Before discussing these resources in more detail, let's make sure that you begin the negotiating process with the right mindset.
  • Yet stand by the sea and watch the irregularity of its edge, and you begin to doubt.
  • begin by telling students that they will be working in groups to answer one of four questions.
  • They were slow to begin pressing the bar, and they tended to randomly stop in the middle of the task.
  • Managing fisheries on a sustained yield basis has never worked, because the models used aren't ecological to begin with.
  • That's changing as airlines begin regularly scheduled flights.
British Dictionary definitions for begin

begin

/bɪˈɡɪn/
verb -gins, -ginning, -gan, -gun
1.
to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
2.
to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
3.
to start to say or speak
4.
(used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something): he couldn't begin to compete with her
5.
to begin with, in the first place
Word Origin
Old English beginnan; related to Old High German biginnan, Gothic duginnan

Begin

/ˈbɛɡɪn/
noun
1.
Menachem (məˈnɑːkɪm). 1913–92, Israeli statesman, born in Poland. In Palestine after 1942, he became a leader of the militant Zionists; prime minister of Israel (1977–83); Nobel peace prize jointly with Sadat 1978. In 1979 he concluded the Camp David treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt
Word Origin and History for begin
v.

Old English beginnan "to begin, attempt, undertake," a rare word beside the more usual form onginnan (class III strong verb; past tense ongann, past participle ongunnen); from bi- (see be-) + West Germanbic *ginnan, of obscure meaning and found only in compounds, perhaps "to open, open up" (cf. Old High German in-ginnan "to cut open, open up," also "begin, undertake"), with sense evolution from "open" to "begin." Cognates elsewhere in Germanic include Old Frisian biginna "to begin," Middle Dutch beghinnen, Old High German beginnan, German beginnen, Old Frisian bijenna "to begin," Gothic duginnan.

Idioms and Phrases with begin

begin

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