onset en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈɒnˌsɛt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- audio
- /ˈɔnˌsɛt/ Midland US, Southern US, without the cot–caught merger
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈɑnˌsɛt/ Northern US or with the cot–caught merger
Etymology
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).
Meanings
-
(countable) The initial phase of a disease or condition, in which symptoms first become apparent.
After four days, the man claimed to be hearing hushed, unintelligible voices in his head. Assuming it was an onset of psychosis, the scientists paid little attention to the man’s concerns.
2009 November 23, “Gateway of the Mind”, in Creepypasta, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2009:the onset of schizophrenia
Widely credited as an early pioneer of the modern railway, Shooter died peacefully of his own choosing in Switzerland on December 13, having bravely lived with the onset of motor neurone disease in the final years of his life.
2022 December 28, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Adrian Shooter CBE: rail industry mourns "a great man"”, in RAIL, number 973, page 6:In mild cases of hypergonadism prior to puberty, the onset of physical and mood changes may not be abnormally early or significant enough to cause any psychological or long-term physical complications.
2018 June 25, James Roland, “What is Hypergonadism?”, in Healthline, archived from the original on 25 Apr 2025:
-
The initial portion of a syllable, preceding the syllable nucleus.
The only regular sources for Sardinian *θ are Lat. ci̯ and ti̯, which are absent from Latin onsets. This means that the substantial number of words starting in *θ, discussed in § 3 – 7, cannot regularly continue a Latin form.
2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 390:
- (qualifier:acoustics) The beginning of a musical note or other sound, in which the amplitude rises from zero to an initial peak.
-
A setting about; a beginning.
There is surely no greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets of things.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Delays”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early, intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages. Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.
2013 June 29, “High and wet”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 28:the onset of puberty
-
(obsolete) Anything added, such as an ornament or as a useful appendage.
And will with deeds requite thy gentleness: And, for an onset, Titus, to advance Thy name and honourable family, Lavinia will I make my empress.
c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
-
(archaic) An attack; an assault especially of an army.
Heralds, from off our towers, we might behold From first to last, the onset and retire Of both your armies
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:And Peter's tired army cheered, and the newcomers roared, and the enemy squealed and gibbered till the wood re-echoed with the din of that onset.
1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:Who on that day the word of onset gave.
1800, William Wordsworth, Six thousand Veterans:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| onsets | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
preonset · voice onset time · adult-onset diabetes · delayed onset muscle soreness · neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease · rapid-onset gender dysphoria · postonset · delayed-onset muscle soreness · onsetter · interonset · rocuronium
Holonyms
Hypernyms
Synonyms
origination · start · inauguration · origin · start · launch · onset · birth · commencement · beginning · storming · fount · source · beginning · font · springtime · initiation · spring · youth
Translations (55)
id awitan ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · ca atac ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · fr assaut ((archaic) attack, assault) · bg нападение ((archaic) attack, assault) · ru ата́ка ((archaic) attack, assault) · fi aluke ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · ro debut ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · hu nyitány ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · fi atakki ((acoustics) beginning of a musical note) · fa آغازه ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · pt ataque ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · la accessus ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · hu szótagkezdet ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · sv ansats ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · fi hyökkäys ((archaic) attack, assault) · de Anstieg ((acoustics) beginning of a musical note) · nl aanval ((archaic) attack, assault) · fr apparition ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · ko 음절초 ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · nl aanvang ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · de Silbenanlaut ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · ru наступле́ние ((archaic) attack, assault) · bg начална фаза ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · fr début (setting about, beginning) · es arremetida ((archaic) attack, assault) · de Anstrich ((acoustics) beginning of a musical note) · de Anzeichen ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · de Silbenanfang ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · pt anábase ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · ro atac ((archaic) attack, assault) · de Silbenansatz ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · fr attaque ((archaic) attack, assault) · pt investida ((archaic) attack, assault) · de Angriff ((archaic) attack, assault) · eo atako ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · de Einschwingvorgang ((acoustics) beginning of a musical note) · it attacco ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · es inicio silábico ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · ru на́тиск ((archaic) attack, assault) · bg атака ((archaic) attack, assault) · hu kezdet ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · es ataque silábico ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · ro asalt ((archaic) attack, assault) · fr attaque ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · mr प्रारंभ (setting about, beginning) · mr हल्ला ((archaic) attack, assault) · de Ansturm ((archaic) attack, assault) · fi aluke ((acoustics) beginning of a musical note) · fr déclenchement (setting about, beginning) · es principio ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · fr attaque ((acoustics) beginning of a musical note) · fi puhkeaminen ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition) · ru при́ступ ((phonology) initial portion of a syllable) · mr उद्धव (setting about, beginning) · fr début ((medicine) initial phase of a disease or condition)