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# onset

noun (the onset, onsets)

«onset» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The onset of something is its start, especially of something bad or unpleasant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#m1)
2. (language) The onset of a syllable is the consonant sound or sounds before the vowel, as «c» in «cat». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#m2)

### In the lessons

It is used about illness, weather and seasons: «the onset of winter», «the onset of a cold». In reading and phonics lessons pupils split words into onset and rime (c-at, str-ing). In stories it marks when trouble begins.

### Examples

- With the onset of winter, the birds flew south. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x1)
- Drink water at the onset of a fever. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x2)
- The onset of the storm was sudden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x3)
- In «ship», the onset is «sh». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x4)
- The game stopped at the onset of rain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x5)
- Watch for the onset of tiredness on long walks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x6)
- The onset of the illness was slow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x7)
- Split each word into onset and rime. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/#x8)

### Note

Usually singular with «the»: «the onset of». Stress on ON-. Do not confuse with «outset» (the very start of any activity, often neutral: «at the outset»). «Onset» is mostly for things that happen to you, like illness or weather.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «onset» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onset/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«onset» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/onset.html) on Mova free.