startle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to stimulate to action

   A sudden noise startled me awake.

2. 2
   verb

   move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm

   The cat was startled when I walked into the room.

3. 3
   verb

   To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.

   a horse that startles easily

4. 4
   verb

   To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise.

   The supposition, at least, that angels do sometimes assume bodies need not startle us.

5. 5
   verb

   To deter; to cause to deviate.

   it would blast all their hopes, and startle all other princes from joining

6. 6
   noun

   A sudden motion or shock caused by an unexpected alarm, surprise, or apprehension of danger.

   The figure of a man heaving in sight amidst these wide solitudes, always causes a startle and thrill of expectation and doubt, similar to the feeling produced by the announcement of " a strange sail ahead" on shipboard, during a long voyage.

7. 7
   noun

   a sudden involuntary movement

Etymology

From Middle English startlen, stertlen, stertyllen (“to rush, stumble along”), from Old English steartlian (“to kick with the foot, struggle, stumble”), equivalent to start + -le. Cognate with Old Norse stirtla (“to hobble, stagger”), Icelandic stirtla (“to straighten up, erect”). Compare also Middle English stertil (“hasty”). More at start.