begin

present singular third person begins · participle present beginning · past began · participle past begun · first person past singular began · archaic present second person singular beginnest · past second person singular began · archaic past second person singular beganst · archaic past second person singular begannest · present singular third person begins · archaic present singular third person beginneth · past singular third person began · past plural began · past subjunctive began · participle present beginning · participle past begun

1. ergativeTo start, to initiate or take the first step into something.

   I began playing the piano at the age of five.

   5 more examples

   Now that everyone is here, we should begin the presentation.

   The program begins at 9 o’clock on the dot.

   I rushed to get to class on time, but the lesson had already begun.

   The Apoſtle begins our Knowledge in the Creatures, which lead us to the Knowledge of God, if we will make uſe of our Reaſon: [...]

   a. 1705, John Locke, “An Examination of P[ère] Malebranche’s Opinion of Seeing All Things in God”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC, paragraph 41, page 175

   Ye Nymphs of Solyma! begin the ſong: / To heav'nly themes ſublimer ſtrains belong.

   1712 (date written), Alexander Pope, “Messiah. A Sacred Eclogue, in Imitation of Virgil’s Pollio.”, in The Works of Alexander Pope Esq. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] and P[aul] Knapton, H. Lintot, J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, and S. Draper, published 1751, →OCLC, page 37, lines 1–2

2. intransitiveTo come into existence.

   Vast chain of being! which from God began.

   1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC

plural begins

1. nonstandardBeginning; start.

   In prayer, in the light, I see my kin / I touch my tree, my roots, my begin

   2006, Quynh Anh, “Hello Vietnam”, in Bonjour Vietnam, published 2008