## Meanings
1. To suddenly surprise or frighten someone, making them jump.
2. To move or jump suddenly because of surprise or fear.
3. A sudden jump or shock caused by something unexpected.

## Examples
- The loud bang startled everyone in the room.
- The cat startled when I walked into the room.
- She woke with a startle when the phone rang.

## Derived Forms
- startled
- startlement
- startling
- upstartle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: startlen
- Root: steartlian

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Startle is 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”). In present-day use, it can mean to suddenly surprise or frighten someone, making them jump, or to move or jump suddenly because of surprise or fear.

## Topics
- Verbs of Movement

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startle

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