Dictionary Definition
onset
Noun
1 the beginning or early stages; "the onset of
pneumonia" [syn: oncoming]
2 (military) an offensive against an enemy (using
weapons); "the attack began at dawn" [syn: attack, onslaught, onrush]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
\On"set`\Noun
- A rushing or setting upon; an attack; an assault; a storming; especially,
the assault of an army.
- William
Shakespeare,
- The onset and retire Of both your armies.
- William
Wordsworth,
- Who on that day the word of onset gave.
- William
Shakespeare,
- The initial phase of a disease or condition, in which symptoms first become apparent.
- The initial portion of a syllable, preceding the syllable nucleus.
- 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.
- Francis
Bacon,
- There is surely no greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets of things.
- Francis
Bacon,
- Anything set on, or added, as an ornament or as a useful appendage.
Translations
A rushing or setting upon
- Finnish: hyökkäys
A setting about
- Finnish: alku, puhkeaminen, alkaminen
Verb
- To assault; to set upon.
- To set about; to begin.
Extensive Definition
Onset may refer to:
- Onset (audio), the beginning of a musical note or sound
- Interonset interval, a term in music
- Syllable onset, a term in phonetics and phonology
- In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness or disease.
- 'onset' a beginning or start. an assault or attack.
- Onset, Massachusetts village in USA.
- Onset Industries, a film apparel company
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
A,
aggravated assault, aggression, albertype, alpha, amphibious attack, appearance, armed assault,
assailing, assailment, assault, attack, banzai attack, beginning, birth, blast-off, blitz, blitzkrieg, book printing,
breakthrough,
charge, chromotypography,
chromotypy, chromoxylography,
collotype, color
printing, commencement, counterattack, counteroffensive, coup
de main, creation,
crippling attack, cutting edge, dawn, dawning, dead set at, debut, descent on, diversion, diversionary
attack, drive, edge, electronography,
electrostatic printing, establishment, flank
attack, flying start, foundation, fresh start,
frontal attack, gas attack, genesis, graphic arts, gravure, halftone engraving,
head-on attack, history of printing, hit, inauguration, inception, infiltration, initiation, institution, job printing,
jump-off, kick-off, leading edge, letterpress, letterpress
photoengraving, lightning attack, lightning war, line engraving,
lithography,
lithogravure,
lithophotogravure,
mass attack, megadeath, mimeograph, mugging, new departure, offense, offensive, offset, offset lithography,
oncoming, onrush, onslaught, opening, origin, origination, outbreak, outset, outstart, overkill, palaeotypography,
panzer warfare, photo-offset, photochemical process, photoengraving,
photogelatin process, photographic reproduction, photography, photolithography,
phototypography,
phototypy, photozincography,
planographic printing, planography, printing, printmaking, publication, publishing, push, raid, relief printing, rotary
photogravure, rotogravure, run against,
run at, running start, rush, sally, send-off, setout, setting in motion,
setting-up, sheetwork,
shock tactics, sortie,
square one, start,
start-off, starting point, stencil, storming, strike, take-off, three-color
printing, two-color printing, typography, typolithography,
unprovoked assault, wood-block printing, xerography, xeroprinting, xylotypography, zincography