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Onset vs Oncet - What's the difference?

onset | oncet |

As a noun onset

is a rushing or setting upon; an attack; an assault; a storming; especially, the assault of an army.

As a verb onset

is to assault; to set upon.

As an adverb oncet is

once.

onset

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A rushing or setting upon; an attack; an assault; a storming; especially, the assault of an army.
  • * (rfdate) (William Shakespeare),
    • The onset and retire / Of both your armies.
  • * (rfdate) (William Wordsworth),
    • Who on that day the word of onset gave.
  • (medicine) The initial phase of a disease or condition, in which symptoms first become apparent.
  • (phonology) The initial portion of a syllable, preceding the syllable nucleus.
  • (acoustics) The beginning of a musical note or other sound, in which the amplitude rises from zero to an initial peak.
  • (obsolete) A setting about; a beginning.
  • * (rfdate) (Francis Bacon),
    • There is surely no greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets of things.
  • (obsolete) Anything set on, or added, as an ornament or as a useful appendage.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=28, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= High and wet , passage=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.}}
    (Shakespeare)
    (Johnson)

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To assault; to set upon.
  • (obsolete) To set about; to begin.

    • Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs

    oncet

    English

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (Southern and south midland US, regional) once
  • *{{quote-book, year=1912, author=Montague Glass, title=Elkan Lubliner, American, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=He meets oncet in a while people, Mr. Redman; while, with us, what is it? }}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1908, author=Alice MacGowan, title=Judith of the Cumberlands, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=Why, Judith, Granny Peavey, our maw's mother, told us oncet about a dumb supper that her and two other gals made when she was but sixteen year old, and her sweetheart away from her in Virginny, and she didn't know whar he was at, an' they brought her tales agin him." }}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1889, author=Bret Harte, title=The Heritage of Dedlow Marsh and Other Tales, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=Jest tuk the best rooms in that new hotel, got a hoss and buggy, dressed ourselves, you and me, fit to kill, and made them Fort people take a back seat in the Lord's Tabernacle, oncet for all. }}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1875, author=J. G. Holland, title=Sevenoaks, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage="I seen 'im oncet , in the spring, I s'pose," said Jim, "what there was left of 'im. }}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1854, author=Elizabeth Wetherell, title=Queechy, Volume I, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=If we could see the last of that man, Didenhover, oncet , I'd take hold of the plough myself, and see if I couldn't make a living out of it. }}