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Ornery vs Onset - What's the difference?

ornery | onset |

In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between ornery and onset

is that ornery is (obsolete) commonplace, inferior while onset is (obsolete) to set about; to begin.

As an adjective ornery

is (appalachian) cantankerous, stubborn, disagreeable.

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

(obsolete) to assault; to set upon.

ornery

English

Adjective

(er)
  • (Appalachian) Cantankerous, stubborn, disagreeable.
  • * 1990 . , Rabbit at Rest
    • “Grandpa, what’s ‘ornery’?” / “Oh, you know. Mean. Contrary. Rebellious.”
  • * 1939 . From the Script of (1939)
    • Curley: "I ain't sayin' I don't share your sentiments, Buck, but you're a born fool. First place Luke would kill the Kid in a gun-fight. Second place if Luke did get shot he's got two brothers just as ornery as he is, and if Ike Plummer didn't kill the Kid then Hank Plummer would."
  • (humorous, Southern US) Mischievous, prankish, teasing, disagreeable but in a good way.
  • (obsolete) Commonplace, inferior.

    • Derived terms

    * ornerily * orneriness

    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