a)BEGIN IN A PARTICULAR WAY 以某种方式开始START something/MAKE something STARTto begin something in a particular way, or to begin in a particular way (使)〔以某种方式〕开始
start something ↔ off with something/by doing something
The theater company started off their new season with a Shakespeare play.
这家剧团以一出莎士比亚戏剧开始他们新一季的演出。
start off with something/by doing something
I started off by drawing the flowers I had collected.
我一开始先画我采集的花。
b)to be a particular thing or have a particular quality at the beginning of something, especially when this changes later 起先(是),最初(是)
The puppies start off white, and get their black spots later.
幼犬开始是白色的,后来才长出黑色斑点。
as
The games start off as a social event, but players soon become competitive.
运动会起先是一项社会活动,但选手们很快就想争个高低。
I started off as a drummer.
起初我是一名鼓手。
c)start something ↔ off to make something begin happening 使某事开始
We’re not sure what starts the process off.
我们无法确定变化过程的起因。
d)HELP start somebody ↔ off to help someone begin an activity 帮助某人开始
start somebody ↔ off with
He started me off with some stretching exercises.
他让我开始做一些伸展练习。
e)START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCto begin going somewhere 启程,动身
I sat in the car for a few minutes before starting off.
我在汽车里坐了几分钟后才出发。
to/towards/back etc
She started off to school in her new uniform.
她穿了新校服去学校。
f)start somebody offBritish EnglishBrE informalANGRY to make someone get angry or start laughing, by saying something 〔说某事〕使某人生气[发笑]
Don’t say that; that’ll just start him off.
别那么说,他会生气的。
start somebody off doing something
He made her jump, and that started her off giggling.
他吓她一跳,惹得她咯咯笑起来。
Examples from the Corpus
start off• The riders got back on their horses and started off along the track again.• Before starting off you should check that your seat and mirrors are properly adjusted.
start off with something/by doing something• At present we ourselves consider that any treatmentprogramme, whether homoeopathic or otherwise, should start off with attention to diet.• He was glad when I got pregnant to start off with, but he's changed.• It's probably a good idea to start off with an invisiblecounter.• It started off with a tan scrim in front.• The foreign-language teacher usually starts off with a class with a set to learn.• To grow good berries it is necessary to start off with good trees of the right variety.• You start off with something simple.