start up v 1: get going or set in motion; "We simply could not start the engine"; "start up the computer" [syn: {start}] [ant: {stop}] 2: get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack" [syn: {start}, {embark on}, {commence}]