Obs. Forms: 3 asteorte, 5 asstart, 4–6 astert(e, astart(e. Pa. t. 3 astirte, -orte, -urte, 4–5 astert(e, asterted. [f. A- pref. 1 up + START v. In sense 3 prob. for ATSTART.]
1. intr. To start up.
c. 1205. Lay., 26045. Þe eotend up a-sturte [1250 vp a-storte].
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3399. Op a-sterte þe route anon.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., II. xxi. Anon astert The blude of all my body to my hert.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., III. ii. 29. Out of her bed she did astart.
2. intr. To start into existence, happen, fall out; with dative of the person, afterwards taken as object, and hence trans. To happen to, befall.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 151. Though such an happe of love asterte. Ibid., I. 66. That thing shall never me asterte … To make her any feigned chere.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Nov., 187. No daunger there the shepheard can astert.
3. intr. To start off, get away, escape.
1250. Lay., 4262. Ech man þat mihte a-steorte in to one borewe [1205 And he æt-sturte].
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 294. He seeth he may nat fro his deeth asterte.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, VII. v. 169 b. He might not asterte, He was so pursued.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas. (1845), 65. You have me fettered; I may not asterte.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks. (1861), 31. Let not this song from thee astart.
b. To remove, withdraw, desist.
c. 1400. Song of Roland, 68. Wyn went be-twen them, non did astert.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xxxviii. 230. But to God ȝoven preysenges, and not a-sterte.
1572. Forrest, Theoph., 334. Ye shall fynde me fyrme … not onse to astarte.
4. trans. (orig. with dat.) To escape, avoid, shun.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1343. If ought amys mastart, [v.r. me start] Foryeve it me. Ibid. (c. 1386), Freres T., 14. Ther might astert [v.r. astirte] him no pecunial peyne.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xxxi. 404. Thanne schal thyn enemy neuere the asterte.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, 138. [I] must needes please him by my death, I may it not astarte.
