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Onset vs Contest - What's the difference?

onset | contest | Related terms |

Onset is a related term of contest.


As nouns the difference between onset and contest

is that onset is a rushing or setting upon; an attack; an assault; a storming; especially, the assault of an army while contest is (uncountable) controversy; debate.

As verbs the difference between onset and contest

is that onset is (obsolete) to assault; to set upon while contest is to contend.

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.
  • contest

    English

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Controversy; debate.
  • no contest
  • (uncountable) Struggle for superiority; combat.
  • (countable) A competition.
  • The child entered the spelling contest .

    Synonyms

    * (controversy) controversy, debate, discussion * (combat) battle, combat, fight * (competition) competition, pageant

    Derived terms

    (Terms derived from the noun "contest") * contest shape * fashion contest * no contest * pissing contest * popularity contest * wet t-shirt contest * will contest

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To contend.
  • I will contest for the open seat on the board.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove contest ?
  • * Bishop Burnet
  • The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of contesting with it, when there are hopes of victory.
  • To call into question; to oppose.
  • The rival contested the dictator's re-election because of claims of voting irregularities.
  • * J. D. Morell
  • Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequently repeated, few more contested than this.
  • To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend.
  • The troops contested every inch of ground.
  • (legal) To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist, as a claim, by course of law; to controvert.
  • Synonyms

    * (contend) compete, contend, go in for * (oppose) call into question, oppose

    Antonyms

    * (oppose) support