Attack
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To apply violent force to someone or something. To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar). To aim balls at the batsman's wicket. To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets. To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: An attempt to cause damage or injury to, or to somehow detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault. A time in which one attacks. The offence of a battle. Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side. Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net. The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team. The sudden onset of a disease. The amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave washing to shore would feature a slow attack).
Example sentence: When I called Clinton a Wall Street puppet, they called me a right-wing extremist. When I said the same about George W. Bush, they called me an anti-war communist. Now that I'm against Obama for the same reasons, mainline conservatives embrace me. When I attack the next right-wing 'savior,' they're gonna call me a communist again.
Onset
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To assault; to set upon.To set about; to begin.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A rushing or setting upon; an attack; an assault; a storming; especially, the assault of an army.The initial phase of a disease or condition, in which symptoms first become apparent.The initial portion of a syllable, preceding the syllable nucleus.The beginning of a musical note or other sound, in which the amplitude rises from zero to an initial peak.A setting about; a beginning.Anything set on, or added, as an ornament or as a useful appendage.