square one noun
Learner's definition of SQUARE ONE
[noncount]
: the beginning stage or starting point开始阶段；起点 -
His idea didn't work, so he had to go back to square one. [=he had to start over]他的主意行不通，只好重新开始。
-
They lost everything and found themselves back at square one.他们失去了一切，又回到起点。