starting point

starting point
    n 1: earliest limiting point [syn: {terminus a quo}, {starting
         point}]
    

Starting \Start"ing\ (st[aum]rt"[i^]ng),
   a. & n. from {Start}, v.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Starting bar} (Steam Eng.), a hand lever for working the
      valves in starting an engine.

   {Starting hole}, a loophole; evasion. [Obs.]

   {Starting point}, the point from which motion begins, or from
      which anything starts.

   {Starting post}, a post, stake, barrier, or place from which
      competitors in a race start, or begin the race.
      [1913 Webster]
    

87 Moby Thesaurus words for "starting point":
      A, alpha, base, basis, beginning, blast-off, border line, bound,
      boundary, boundary condition, boundary line, bourn, break boundary,
      breakoff point, ceiling, circumscription, commencement, compass,
      confine, creation, cutoff, cutoff point, cutting edge, dawn,
      deadline, delimitation, determinant, division line, edge, end,
      establishment, extremity, finish, floor, flying start, foundation,
      fresh start, frontier, hedge, high-water mark, institution,
      interface, jump-off, kick-off, leading edge, limen, limit,
      limitation, limiting factor, line, line of demarcation,
      line of departure, low-water mark, lower limit, march, mark, mete,
      new departure, oncoming, onset, opening, origin, origination,
      outbreak, outset, point of departure, port of embarkation,
      running start, send-off, setting in motion, setting-up, square one,
      start, start-off, starting gate, starting line, starting place,
      starting post, take-off, takeoff, target date, term, terminal date,
      terminus, threshold, time allotment, upper limit