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Meaning of startle
star•tle
Pronunciation: (stär'tl), [key] — v., n. -tled, -tling,
—v.t. - to disturb or agitate suddenly as by surprise or alarm.
- to cause to start involuntarily, by or as by a sudden shock.
—v.i. - to start involuntarily, as from a shock of surprise or alarm.
—n. - a sudden shock of surprise, alarm, or the like.
- something that startles.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.