onslaughtn.

1613 T. Lodge tr. Seneca Epist. lvi, in tr. Seneca Wks. (1614) 253 The greatest Generals of armies, at such time as they perceiue that their souldiers doe grow disobedient, they make them martch, to keepe them in obedience, and cause them to vndertake some sudden onslaught.

a1625 J. Fletcher Monsieur Thomas (1639) ii. ii. sig. D3 I doe remember yet that anslaight, thou wast beaten, And fledst.

1637 R. Monro Exped. Scots Regim. ii. 52 The Swedens disappointed of their onslaught, retired after his Majestie to their Leaguer,..having put a terror in the enemies Armie, by this defeat.

1663 S. Butler Hudibras: First Pt. i. iii. 195 Which was best, By siege or onslaught, to invest The enemy.

1678 E. Phillips New World of Words (new ed.) Onslought (Dutch), a storming, or fierce assault upon any place.

1683 J. Turner Pallas Armata 176 The noise of them [bandeliers] betray those who carry them in all Surprizals, Anslachts, and sudden enterprizes.

1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian II. viii. 115 Duncan Knock's father had been at that onslaught, and brought back muckle gude plenishing.

1859 in G. O. Trevelyan Macaulay (1876) II. viii. 54 The fierce onslaught upon that Government.

1874 J. L. Motley Life John of Barneveld I. Pref. 7 Had withstood single-handed the onslaughts of Spain.

1923 R. Macaulay Told by Idiot ii. xiii. 110 She would wake and lie helpless, waiting the onslaught of the new day.

1943 W. S. Churchill End of Beginning 221 The Soviets had to repel the terrific onslaught of Germany.

1977 Time 8 Aug. 42/2 They were besieged as never before by onslaughts launched by critics in the Carter Administration, Congress and consumer groups.

2002 Q July 147/2 An onslaught of zombies that resembles an am-dram production of Michael Jackson's Thriller.

1861 Amer. Agriculturist Jan. 10/2 The fashion being thus set by royal authority, we may expect a general onslaught of the reptiles to supply the demand.

1880 A. W. Kinglake Invasion of Crimea VI. ix. 230 There were some of his fellow-countrymen..whose marplot disclosures seemed likely to bring down..a new onslaught of Russian masses.

1936 N.Y. Woman 23 Sept. 33/4 It is thanks to him that his friend, Mme. Schiaparelli, started the Tyrolean hat onslaught in Paris and New York.

1973 Sat. Rev. Arts (U.S.) Jan. 84/3 The last two pieces contain an onslaught of information about the vigorous young designers and the boom of prêt à porter.

2002 Time Out N.Y. 5 Sept. 111/4 The aim here is to rehabilitate vaudeville, which mostly means an onslaught of ‘neo-burlesque’ strippers who wink slightly while shedding their layers.