Link Centre Dictionary

onset

on·set

UK/ˈɒnˌsɛt/ US/ˈɔnˌsɛt/ uncommon archaic obsolete

noun

1.

the beginning or early stages

  • “the onset of pneumonia”
Synonyms
2.

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

  • “the attack began at dawn”

Origin

From on- + set. Compare Old English onsettan (“to impose; oppress, bear down”). For semantic parallels for the meaning to assault, compare cognate Russian насе́сть pf (naséstʹ), наседа́ть impf (nasedátʹ).

Phrases

  • adult-onset diabetes
  • delayed onset muscle soreness
  • delayed-onset muscle soreness
  • rapid-onset gender dysphoria
  • voice onset time

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.