head start

or head·start


noun

an advantage given or acquired in any competition, endeavor, etc., as allowing one or more competitors in a race to start before the others.

Origin of head start

First recorded in 1885–90

Example sentences from the Web for head start

British Dictionary definitions for head start

head start

noun

an initial advantage in a competitive situation

Word Origin for head start

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.