onfall

noun

1. A falling on or upon; an attack, onset, or assault.

   Are we to have military onfall; and death also by starvation?

2. A fall of rain or snow.

3. The fall of the evening.

Where it comes from

From Middle English onfal, onfalle, equivalent to on- + fall. Cognate with Dutch aanval (“an attack, assault”), German Anfall (“an attack, seizure, fit”), Swedish anfall (“an attack, offensive, assault”). Compare also Middle English onfallynge (“an onslaught, attack”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry onfall (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← onerateonhanger →

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