A beginning from which an enterprise is launched. Synonyms:jumping-off point, point of departure."Reality provides the jumping-off point for his illusions" , "The point of departure of international comparison cannot be an institution but must be the function it carries out"
... to the back porch, rushed out and was in the back yard just in time to see the ball take its first bounce onto the concrete. I watched it, fascinated, when it hit—after the soft, energy absorbing turf, the concrete was like a springboard. Immediately the ball flew high in the air. I was running across the yard toward it, praying under my breath, Fall on that grass ... — The Big Bounce • Walter S. Tevis
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