Crossword Genius

Begin small quiche (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

start

'begin' is the definition.
(I know that begin can be written as start)

'small quiche' is the wordplay.
'small' becomes 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size).
'quiche' becomes 'tart'.
's'+'tart'='START'

(Other definitions for start that I've seen before include "Onset" , "Begin to recoil?" , "Move quickly < when surprised" , "lead" , "Opening - jump" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.