jump-start

American  

[juhmp-stahrt] / ˈdʒʌmpˌstɑrt /

noun

1. Automotive. Also the starting of an internal-combustion engine that has a discharged or weak battery by means of booster cables.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to give a jump-start to.

   to jump-start an engine.

2. to enliven or revive.

   to jump-start a sluggish economy.

jump-start British  

verb

1. to start the engine of (a car) by connecting it to another engine with jump leads or (of a car) to start in this way

---

noun

1. the act of starting a car in this way

Etymology

Origin of jump-start

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Away from Washington, state and local agencies could jump-start innovation by targeting requests for proposals for jobs that need both hands-on skill and human judgment.

From MarketWatch

For many Europeans, including former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, the EU—far from being a problem—offers the best hope for jump-starting their lagging economy.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tools now exist to erase whole events and corresponding emotions from mouse brains, or to artificially jump-start memories and all the feelings that go with them.

From Los Angeles Times

Travel back in time to the moment when Robert Downey Jr. jump-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe and remind yourself why.

From Los Angeles Times

For years, the Fed kept short-term interest rates at zero—translating to negative real, or inflation-adjusted, rates—in an effort to jump-start moribund economic growth.

From The Wall Street Journal