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Meaning of startle

star•tle

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