starting block

noun

, Track.

1. a device used by runners, especially sprinters, for increasing their speed off the mark, consisting of a metal or wooden frame, usually secured to the ground at both ends, with adjustable, triangular-shaped blocks on each side for bracing the feet.

starting block

noun

1. one of a pair of adjustable devices with pads or blocks against which a sprinter braces his feet in crouch starts

Word History and Origins

Origin of starting block¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Kim leapt from the starting block, arcing long and effortlessly over my head, and entered the water.

From MIT Technology Review

He shoots off the starting blocks, propelling himself through the air with his arms briefly splayed like a pterodactyl before he streamlines into the water.

From FiveThirtyEight

When they’re ready to relaunch their careers, their starting block has been moved back.

From Washington Post

In January, vaccine researchers lined up on the starting blocks, waiting to hear a pistol.

From Science News