an advantage given or acquired in any competition, endeavor, etc., as allowing one or more competitors in a race to start before the others.
Also, headstart.
Origin
1885-90
Examples from the web for head start
Plant a few extra basil plants this summer and get a head start on your holiday gift needs.
Less heat would give plants a significant head start to spread their seed.
With such a huge head start, there's little chance they won't get tenure at our school.
But the thieves always have a head start--which means that for a while, they'll usually get away with it.
The routine provided him with an opportunity to get a head start on his relentless observing, sketching, and note-taking.
Some parents give their children a head start in life by lavishing them with money or opportunities.
Well, other traits seem to have gotten a head start, too.
Get a head start by running ahead, and you may find yourself safe but without any treasures.
Identifying a measure of underlying inflation gives us a good head start.
These could provide a three-month head start in making seasonal flu vaccines.
British Dictionary definitions for head start
head start
noun
1.
an initial advantage in a competitive situation
Word Origin
originally referring to a horse's having its head in front of others at the start of a race
Idioms and Phrases with head start
head start
An early start that confers an advantage, as in This year we'll get a head start on the competition by running more ads. The expression comes from racing, where it was used for a horse being given an advantage of several lengths over the others. Its extension to other areas dates from the early 1900s.