Bim jerked back his head and surveyed his friend with startlement which speedily softened to a wide grin.
A wave of startlement swept over the group, but no one spoke.
The winch indicator stood at one hundred and three feet, giving him a rich, fruity yield of startlement.
In his startlement, though, he was not able to prevent the sheet at its front from moving a little.
Every eye turned on him in startlement and fear, and Steward hushed him with a whispered command.
c.1300, "run to and fro," frequentative of sterten (see start (v.)). Sense of "move suddenly in surprise or fear" first recorded 1520s. Transitive meaning "frighten suddenly" is from 1590s. The word retains more of the original meaning of start (v.). Related: Startled; startling.