| head start | |
| —n | |
| an initial advantage in a competitive situation | |
| [originally referring to a horse's having its head in front of others at the start of a race] | |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
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.