Also 1 steartlian, 4 stertel, 4, 6, 9 dial. stertle, 5 stertylle, 6 startell, yll, 6–7 startel, 9 dial. sturtle. [OE. steartlian:—*startlōjan, f. *start- (: *stert-: *sturt-) see START v. The ME. stertle (whence the mod. word) may however be a new formation on stert- START v.]
† 1. intr. In OE.: To kick, struggle. Obs.
a. 1100. Aldhelm Gloss, in Napier, OE. Glosses, i. 2438. Ut non calcitres (.i. ut non pugnes) þæt þu ne spear[n]last, steartlast. Ibid., ii. 82. (Same lemma.) þæt þu ne steartliʓe.
2. To rush, move swiftly; to caper. Now dial.
In mod. dialects chiefly said of cows rushing wildly about under a burning sun: see Eng. Dial. Dict.
a. 1300. Body & Soul, in Map’s Poems (Camden), 335. Thouȝ art unsemly for to se,… Thouȝ ne havest frend that ne wolde fle, come thouȝ stertlinde in the strete.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1741 (Seld. MS.). Hir husbond Colatyn Or sche was of him war com stertlyng In.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VIII. 55. Þerynne [sc. on a carved casket] it semeþ þat geantes fiȝten, bestes stertelleþ [L. gestus animalium … conspiciuntur], foules fleeþ. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., XVIII. cix. (1495), 851. Whan a cowe is stonge wyth a grete flye thenne she … stertelyth as she were wood abowte feldes and playnes.
1483. Cath. Angl., 363/1. To Stertylle, exilire, prosilire.
c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 751. I make them to startyll and sparkyll lyke a bronde.
1526. Tindale, Mark v. 13. And the heerd starteled [Gr. ὤρμησεν], and ran hedlyng into the see.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. (1873), 37. I beheld the pretty fische vantounly stertland vitht there rede vermeil fynnis.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, I. iv. 40. Emong their priestes, loke whome they sawe startle aboute as haulfe wood, him did they iudge of all other mooste holy.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, S iij. The Leopard pursues his pray leaping and startling.
1616. J. Lane, Contn. Sqr.’s T., IV. 312. Then the horse gann startel, tripp, and goe.
1637. Rutherford, Lett. (1664), 66. We see oxen goe to the shambles leaping and startling.
1786. Burns, Twa Dogs, 163. He … down Italian Vista startles [rhyme myrtles].
3. † a. To start, to undergo a sudden involuntary movement of the body, caused by surprise, alarm, acute pain, etc. Of a horse: To shy. Obs. b. To feel sudden astonishment or alarm; to take fright, be shocked at something. Now rare or Obs. (superseded by passive of sense 5).
1530. Palsgr., 734/1. I startell, as a man dothe that is amased sodaynly, or that hath some inwarde colde. Ibid. (1540), Acolastus, B iv. Thou begynnest to wynche or to startle on this facion.
1562. Cooper, Answ. Def. Truth, Pref. And in dede … a man maye thinke they had good cause to startle at the matter.
1591. Savile, Tacitus, Hist., II. lxxiii. 95. Oftentimes as hee [Vespasian] was named, Vitellius would startle.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., IV. iii. 13. Patience her selfe would startle at this letter, And play the swaggerer.
1603. Harsnet, Pop. Impost., 136. To teach her … gnash her teeth, startle with her body, [etc.].
1614. Wither, Sat. to King, Juvenilia (1633), 326. Make them, when their Villanies are blazed, Shudder and startle as men halfe amazed.
1629. Gaule, Holy Madn., 206. His Head startles, Haires bristle, Browes wrinkle.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 98. His pampered horse startled at him.
1641. Vind. Smectymnuus, 31. Our loyall hearts startle to think of a repetition of the words.
1660. T. M., C. Walker’s Hist. Independency, IV. 12. But the Dutch [denied] … to vaill to the English because they were the younger State … hereat the English (though yet but an Embrio) begin to startle.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Char. Jacobite Clergy, Wks. 1711, IV. 269. You must either leave them, or else, after the squeamishness of startling at a Surplice, be forc’d to swallow Transubstantiation.
1719. Young, Revenge, II. i. Yet to ask it Has something shocking to a generous mind; At least Alonzo’s spirit startles at it.
1732. Lond. Mag., I. 240. Like Moon-blind horses are apt to startle at every object.
1785. Miss Fielding, Ophelia, xxx. She … startled at me, as if I had been a monster.
1792. Wordsw., Descr. Sk., 60. The cloister startles at the gleam of arms.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 614. The horses … crowded close to us, startling with great surprise.
1826. Lamb, Lett. to B. Barton, 20 March. A good lady, a friend’s wife, whom I really love (don’t startle, I mean in a licit way).
1835. Talfourd, Ion, III. ii. Which the pirates’ nest … would startle at!
† const. into. 1649. Lovelace, Lucasta, 72. The Robber and the Murderer in ’spite Of his red spots shal startle into White.
† c. indirect passive. Obs.
1665. Needham, Med. Medicinæ, 215. Oure Dogmatical Methodists can now vouchsafe to use such Medicaments as were startled at before.
1673. Lady’s Calling, II. § 1 ¶ 18. The liberties that are taken now, would then have been startled at.
† d. To awake with a start; to start up suddenly; to move as if surprised or frightened. To startle back: to recoil, move backwards in terror.
1576. Gascoigne, Philomene, Wks. 1910, II. 189. And stertling from her traunce, I wil revenge (quoth she).
1608. H. Clapham, Errour Left Hand, 56. Why startlest thou back? why lookes thou agast?
1613. Heywood, Brazen Age, I 1. My father … startles vp to thunder-strike the lad, And lets me fall.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, IV. § 8. 385. Be not so affrighted … as upon the sight of painted fire to startle backe into true burning fire.
1798. Coleridge, Lewti, 58. The river-swans have heard my tread, And startle from their reedy bed.
1813. Scott, Trierm., III. xxxix. Gyneth startles from her sleep.
1847. G. P. R. James, Castle of Ehrenstein, III. ix. 198. The Count of Ehrenstein startled up and laid his hand upon his sword.
e. Of inanimate things: To move or change suddenly as if startled.
1812. Crabbe, Tales, vii. 107. And sordid pictures from the fancy pass, As the breath startles from the polish’d glass.
1815. Shelley, Alastor, 476. The grass that sprung Startled and glanced and trembled even to feel An unaccustomed presence.
1888. Lowell, Poems, Broken Tryst, 5. If a dead leaf startle behind me, I think ’tis your garment’s hem.
† f. Of the eyes: To ‘start from their sockets.’
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. 463. Now mine eyes begun to startle, my mouth to foame and froath, and my teeth to chatter.
† 4. To swerve, deviate from a purpose: = START v. 7. Obs.
1649. Milton, Tenure Kings, 4. I shall … exhort them not to startle from the just and pious resolution of adhering with all their assistance to the present Parlament and Army.
5. trans. To cause to start; to frighten; to surprise greatly; † to give offence to, to shock.
1595. Shaks., John, IV. ii. 25. It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about, Startles, and frights consideration. Ibid. (1608), Per., V. i. 147. Thou little knowst howe thou doest startle me to call thy selfe Marina.
1598. Chapman, Blind Begg. Alexandria, F 3 b. How now my Lords doth beauty startle you. Ibid. (c. 1611), Iliad, XVI. 437. His ruine startl’d th’ other steeds.
1634. Milton, Comus, 210. These thoughts may startle well, but not astound The vertuous mind.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. 108. Not long after, he was arraigned again at the Kings Bench, the news whereof so startled the Clergie, that [etc.].
1710. Tatler, No. 257, ¶ 2. I was startled with a Flourish of many Musical Instruments.
1817. Keats, Sonn., ‘O Solitude.’ Where the deer’s swift leap Startles the wild bee from the fox-glove bell. Ibid. (1818), Isabella, v. If looks speak love-laws, I will drink her tears, And at the least ’twill startle off her cares.
1823. Scott, Peveril, xiv. The shrill neigh with which she startled the female inmates of the parlour.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, xlii. There was a … licentiousness in his opinions, which startled even me (used as I had been to rakes of all schools).
1829. W. Irving, Granada, I. v. 35. The garrison, startled from sleep, found the enemy already masters of the towers.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. ii. 93. On the return of a settled government, they were startled for a moment in their security.
1879. McCarthy, Own Times, xx. II. 76. Such an act as that done by the Pope might have startled them back to their old attitude.
1903. A. Whyte, Apostle Paul, i. 21. It startles and staggers us to hear it.
fig. 1632. Milton, L’Allegro, 42. To hear the Lark … singing startle the dull night.
1822. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Praise Chimney-sw. Hundreds of grinning teeth startled the night with their brightness.
1849. Woolner, My Beautiful Lady (1887), 36. Grateful, in her deep silence, one loud thrush Startled the air with song.
1862. B. Taylor, Poet’s Jrnl. (1866), 39. And the drowsy air is startled.
† b. To startle out: to cause sudden shedding of (blood). Obs. (? nonce-use.)
1605. 1st Pt. Jeronimo, I. i. 79. Ile wake the Court, or startle out some bloud.
† 6. To cause to waver; to shake (a person, his resolution, faith, etc.). Obs.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. § 21. I have perused them all, and can discover nothing that may startle a discreet beliefe.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IV. § 293. His known affections to the King’s service, from which it was not possible to remove or startle him.
1687. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 2. He explained the … Old Testament with so much advantage to our Faith … that I dare be bold to say, he startled and shook most of them.
a. 1701. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 65. It almost startles their Faith.
1710. O. Sansom, Acc. Life, 52. When he saw them [the Neighbours] flock in, he in his Rage (thinking to startle me) asked me before them, Whether [etc.].
1784. P. Wright, New Bk. Martyrs, 798/2. At Axminster one also was executed,… he had great resolution, and not at all startled with the fear of death.
† 7. To rouse, excite. Obs.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, IV. v. What, doe we nod, fellow Gods? sound musicke, and let us startle our spirits with a song.
8. Comb. † startle-brain, something that upsets the brain.
1653. Brome, Damoiselle, I. i. The care of children’s such a Startle-braine.
