FluentPlex

onset

/ˈɒnˌsɛt/ noun C1
  1. The initial phase of a disease or condition, in which symptoms first become apparent. (countable) · the onset of schizophrenia
  2. The initial portion of a syllable, preceding the syllable nucleus.
  3. The beginning of a musical note or other sound, in which the amplitude rises from zero to an initial peak.
  4. A setting about; a beginning. · the onset of puberty

Plural onsets

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From the library

“‘General d’Épinay passed for one of the best swordsmen in the army, but he was pressed so closely in the onset that he missed his aim and fell.
The Count of Monte Cristo, p. 774 · C1

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Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.