RELATED CONTENT
Why Is New York City Known As “The Big Apple” And “Gotham”?New York City goes by many names, such as the “City that Never Sleeps” and the less humble “Center of the Universe.” But the Big Apple is the most kenspeckled. There are many rumors about the history of the nickname. Did the city used to be filled with apple orchards? Does the name originate with a brothel madam named Eve? Actually, the widespread use of …
Nearby words
Definition for began (2 of 2)
begin
[ bih-gin ]
/ bɪˈgɪn /
verb (used without object), be·gan, be·gun, be·gin·ning.
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start: The story begins with their marriage.
to come into existence; arise; originate: The custom began during the Civil War.
verb (used with object), be·gan, be·gun, be·gin·ning.
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action): Begin the job tomorrow.
to originate; be the originator of: civic leaders who began the reform movement.
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive): The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
Origin of begin
Synonym study
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for began
British Dictionary definitions for began (1 of 3)
British Dictionary definitions for began (2 of 3)
Begin
/ (ˈbɛɡɪn) /
noun
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
British Dictionary definitions for began (3 of 3)
begin
/ (bɪˈɡɪn) /
verb -gins, -ginning, -gan or -gun
to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
to start to say or speak
(used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something)he couldn't begin to compete with her
to begin with in the first place
Word Origin for begin
Old English beginnan; related to Old High German biginnan, Gothic duginnan
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with began
begin
In addition to the idioms beginning with begin
- beginning of the end, the
- begin to see daylight
- begin to see the light
- begin with
also see:
- charity begins at home
- (begin to) see the light
- to start (begin) with
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.