on·set

(ŏn′sĕt′, ôn′-)

1. The beginning or start of something: the onset of a cold.

2. Linguistics The part of a syllable that precedes the nucleus. In the word nucleus (no͞o′klē-əs), the onset of the first syllable is (n), the onset of the second syllable is (kl), and the last syllable has no onset.

3. Archaic An attack by military forces; an assault.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

onset

(ˈɒnˌsɛt)

1. an attack; assault

2. a start; beginning

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

on•set

(ˈɒnˌsɛt, ˈɔn-)

n.

1. a beginning or start: the onset of winter.

2. an assault or attack: the onset of the enemy.

[1525–35]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	onset - the beginning or early stages; "the onset of pneumonia" oncoming start - the beginning of anything; "it was off to a good start"
	2.	onset - (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons); "the attack began at dawn" attack, onrush, onslaught military operation, operation - activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign); "it was a joint operation of the navy and air force" ground attack - an attack by ground troops assault - close fighting during the culmination of a military attack charge - an impetuous rush toward someone or something; "the wrestler's charge carried him past his adversary"; "the battle began with a cavalry charge" banzai attack, banzai charge - a mass attack of troops without concern for casualties; originated by Japanese who accompanied it with yells of `banzai' diversionary attack, diversion - an attack calculated to draw enemy defense away from the point of the principal attack penetration, incursion - an attack that penetrates into enemy territory blitzkrieg, blitz - a swift and violent military offensive with intensive aerial bombardment strike - an attack that is intended to seize or inflict damage on or destroy an objective; "the strike was scheduled to begin at dawn" counterattack, countermove - an attack by a defending force against an attacking enemy force in order to regain lost ground or cut off enemy advance units etc. bombing, bombardment - an attack by dropping bombs firing, fire - the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy; "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes"; "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire" strafe - an attack of machine-gun fire or cannon fire from a low flying airplane; "the next morning they carried out a strafe of enemy airfields" coup de main, surprise attack - an attack without warning armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"

onset

noun

1. beginning, start, rise, birth, kick-off (informal), outbreak, starting point, inception, commencement This drug slows down the onset of the disease.
beginning ending, end, finish, conclusion, outcome, wind-up, termination, culmination

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

onset

noun

1. The act of attacking:

aggression, assailment, assault, attack, attempt, offense, offensive, onrush, onslaught, strike.

2. The initial stage of a developmental process:

beginning, birth, commencement, dawn, genesis, inception, nascence, nascency, opening, origin, outset, spring, start.

Translations

إبْتِداء

start

Anfang

comienzo inicio

commencement

upphaf, byrjun

assalto carica insorgenza

sākums

başlangıç ortaya çıkış

开始

onset

[ˈɒnset] N (= beginning) → principio m, comienzo m; [of disease] → aparición f
the onset of winter → el comienzo del invierno

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

onset

[ˈɒnsɛt] n [disease] → début m; [winter, old age] → approche f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

onset

n → Beginn m; (of cold weather also) → Einbruch m; (of illness) → Ausbruch m; the sudden onset of winter → der plötzliche Wintereinbruch; the onset of this illness is quite gradual → diese Krankheit kommt nur allmählich zum Ausbruch; with the onset of old age he … → als er alt zu werden begann …

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

onset

[ˈɒnˌsɛt] n (of winter) → arrivo; (of illness, old age) → inizio, principio

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

onset

(ˈonset) noun

a beginning. the onset of a cold.

onset

n inicio, comienzo; age at — edad f de inicio or comienzo; early-onset de inicio or comienzo precoz; juvenile-onset de inicio or comienzo juvenil; late-onset de inicio or comienzo tardío

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course.

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Preserving an interval of some few yards between itself and the ship, the Jeroboam's boat by the occasional use of its oars contrived to keep parallel to the Pequod, as she heavily forged through the sea (for by this time it blew very fresh), with her main-topsail aback; though, indeed, at times by the sudden onset of a large rolling wave, the boat would be pushed some way ahead; but would be soon skilfully brought to her proper bearings again.

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Keba Christos, who had marched with incredible expedition to hinder the enemy from making any intrenchments, would willingly have refreshed his men a few days before the battle, but finding the foe vigilant, thought it not proper to stay till he was attacked, and therefore resolved to make the first onset; then presenting himself before his army without arms and with his head uncovered, assured them that such was his confidence in God's protection of those that engaged in so just a cause, that though he were in that condition and alone, he would attack his enemies.

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I believe, at the moment of my onset, the Stranger had sunk below our Plane, and really found difficulty in rising.

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Had the pirates kept together it is certain that they would have won; but the onset came when they were still unstrung, and they ran hither and thither, striking wildly, each thinking himself the last survivor of the crew.

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I wandered with that manner, for the next hour or two, all over the place and looked, I have no doubt, as if I were ready for any onset. So, for the benefit of whom it might concern, I paraded with a sick heart.

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Two orders he had given at the first sign of an utterly unforeseen onset; after that the magnitude of his mistake seemed to have overwhelmed him.

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For Big-Tooth also had an other-self, and when he slept that other-self dreamed back into the past, back to the winged reptiles and the clash and the onset of dragons, and beyond that to the scurrying, rodent-like life of the tiny mammals, and far remoter still, to the shore-slime of the primeval sea.

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The poem swung in majestic rhythm to the cool tumult of interstellar conflict, to the onset of starry hosts, to the impact of cold suns and the flaming up of nebular in the darkened void; and through it all, unceasing and faint, like a silver shuttle, ran the frail, piping voice of man, a querulous chirp amid the screaming of planets and the crash of systems.

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The heroic Susan was likewise well contented with her victory, though it had cost her a black eye, which Partridge had given her at the first onset. Between these two, therefore, a league was struck, and those hands which had been the instruments of war became now the mediators of peace.

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Encouraged by this slight advantage, the impetuous young man continued his onset, and sprang upon his enemy with naked hands.

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Thereon they rallied and again faced the Achaeans, who gave ground and ceased their murderous onset, for they deemed that some one of the immortals had come down from starry heaven to help the Trojans, so strangely had they rallied.

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