Stall Stall (stal) noun [ Middle English stal , Anglo-Saxon steall , stall , a place, seat, or station, a stable; akin to D. & Old High German stal , G. & Swedish stall , Icelandic stallr , Danish stald , originally, a standing place; akin to German stelle a place, stellen to place, Greek ste`llein to set, place, send, and English stand . √163. See Stand , and confer Apostle , Epistle , Forestall , Install , Stale , adjective & intransitive verb , 1st Stalk , Stallion , Still .] 1. A stand; a station; a fixed spot; hence, the stand or place where a horse or an ox is kept and fed; the division of a stable, or the compartment, for one horse, ox, or other animal. "In an oxes stall ." Chaucer.

2. A stable; a place for cattle.

At last he found a stall where oxen stood.

Dryden.

3. A small apartment or shed in which merchandise is exposed for sale; as, a butcher's stall ; a book stall .

4. A bench or table on which small articles of merchandise are exposed for sale.

How peddlers' stalls with glittering toys are laid.

Gay.

5. A seat in the choir of a church, for one of the officiating clergy. It is inclosed, either wholly or partially, at the back and sides. The stalls are frequently very rich, with canopies and elaborate carving.

The dignified clergy, out of humility, have called their thrones by the names of stalls .

Bp. Warburton.

Loud the monks sang in their stalls .

Longfellow.

6. In the theater, a seat with arms or otherwise partly inclosed, as distinguished from the benches, sofas, etc.

7. (Mining) The space left by excavation between pillars. See Post and stall , under Post .

Stall reader , one who reads books at a stall where they are exposed for sale.

Cries the stall reader , "Bless us! what a word on
A titlepage is this!"

Milton.

Stall Stall transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Stalled (stald); present participle & verbal noun Stalling .] [ Confer Swedish stalla , Danish stalde .] 1. To put into a stall or stable; to keep in a stall or stalls; as, to stall an ox.

Where King Latinus then his oxen stalled .

Dryden.

2. To fatten; as, to stall cattle. [ Prov. Eng.]

3. To place in an office with the customary formalities; to install. Shak.

4. To plunge into mire or snow so as not to be able to get on; to set; to fix; as, to stall a cart. Burton.

His horses had been stalled in the snow.

E. E. Hale.

5. To forestall; to anticipitate. [ Obsolete]

This not to be stall'd by my report.

Massinger.

6. To keep close; to keep secret. [ Obsolete]

Stall this in your bosom.

Shak.

Stall Stall intransitive verb [ Anglo-Saxon steallian to have room. See Stall , noun ] 1. To live in, or as in, a stall; to dwell. [ Obsolete]

We could not stall together
In the whole world.

Shak.

2. To kennel, as dogs. Johnson.

3. To be set, as in mire or snow; to stick fast.

4. To be tired of eating, as cattle. [ Prov. Eng.]

Stall Stall noun A covering or sheath, as of leather, horn, of iron, for a finger or thumb; a cot; as, a thumb stall ; a finger stall .

Stall-feed Stall"-feed transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Stall-fed ; present participle & verbal noun Stall-feeding .] To feed and fatten in a stall or on dry fodder; as, to stall-feed an ox.

Stallage Stall"age (stal"aj) noun [ Confer Old French estallage , of German origin. See Stall , noun ] 1. (Eng. Law) The right of erecting a stalls in fairs; rent paid for a stall.

2. Dung of cattle or horses, mixed with straw. [ Obsolete]

Stallation Stal·la"tion noun Installation. [ Obsolete]

Stalled Stalled (stald or stal"ĕd) adjective Put or kept in a stall; hence, fatted. "A stalled ox." Prov. xv. 17.

Staller Stall"er noun A standard bearer. Fuller.

Stalling Stall"ing noun Stabling. Tennyson.

Stallion Stal"lion noun [ Middle English stalon , Old French estalon , French étalon , from Old High German stal a stable. See Stall , noun ] A male horse not castrated; a male horse kept for breeding.

Stallman Stall"man (stal"m a n) noun ; plural Stallmen (-m e n). One who keeps a stall for the sale of merchandise, especially books. Sterne.

Stallon Stal"lon noun A slip from a plant; a scion; a cutting. [ R.] Holinshed.

Stalwart, Stalworth Stal"wart, Stal"worth adjective [ Middle English stalworth , Anglo-Saxon stælwyrð serviceable, probably originally, good at stealing, or worth stealing or taking, and afterwards extended to other causes of estimation. See Steal , transitive verb , Worth , adjective ] Brave; bold; strong; redoubted; daring; vehement; violent. "A stalwart tiller of the soil." Prof. Wilson.

Fair man be was and wise, stalworth and bold.

R. of Brunne.

» Stalworth is now disused, or bur little used, stalwart having taken its place.

Stalwartly Stal"wart·ly adverb In a stalwart manner.

Stalwartness Stal"wart·ness noun The quality of being stalwart.

Stalworthhood, Stalworthness Stal"worth·hood, Stal"worth·ness noun The quality or state of being stalworth; stalwartness; boldness; daring. [ Obsolete]

Stamen Sta"men noun ; plural English Stamens (used only in the second sense); Latin Stamina (in the first sense). [ Latin stamen the warp, a thread, fiber, akin to Greek ... the warp, from ... to stand, akin to English stand . See Stand , and confer Stamin , Stamina .] 1. A thread; especially, a warp thread.

2. (pl. Stamens , rarely Stamina .) (Botany) The male organ of flowers for secreting and furnishing the pollen or fecundating dust. It consists of the anther and filament .

Stamened Sta"mened adjective Furnished with stamens.

Stamin Sta"min noun [ Old French estamine , French étamine , Late Latin staminea , stamineum , from Latin stamineus consisting of threads, from stamen a thread. See Stamen , and confer Stamineous , 2d Stammel , Tamine .] A kind of woolen cloth. [ Written also stamine .] [ Obsolete]

Stamina Stam"i·na noun plural See Stamen .

Stamina Stam"i·na noun plural 1. The fixed, firm part of a body, which supports it or gives it strength and solidity; as, the bones are the stamina of animal bodies; the ligneous parts of trees are the stamina which constitute their strength.

2. Whatever constitutes the principal strength or support of anything; power of endurance; backbone; vigor; as, the stamina of a constitution or of life; the stamina of a State.

He succeeded to great captains who had sapped the whole stamina and resistance of the contest.

De Quincey.

Staminal Stam"i·nal adjective [ Confer French staminal .] Of or pertaining to stamens or stamina; consisting in stamens.

Staminate Stam"i·nate adjective [ Latin staminatus consisting of threads, from stamen thread: confer French staminé .] (Botany) (a) Furnished with stamens; producing stamens. (b) Having stamens, but lacking pistils.

Staminate Stam"i·nate transitive verb To indue with stamina. [ R.]

Stamineal, Stamineous Sta·min"e·al, Sta·min"e·ous adjective [ Latin stamineus , from stamen thread.] 1. Consisting of stamens or threads.

2. (Botany) Of or pertaining to the stamens; possessing stamens; also, attached to the stamens; as, a stamineous nectary.

Staminiferous Stam`i·nif"er·ous adjective [ Stamen + -ferous .] Bearing or having stamens.

Staminode Stam"i·node noun (Botany) A staminodium.

Staminodium Stam`i·no"di·um noun ; plural Staminodia . [ New Latin See Stamen , and - oid .] (Botany) An abortive stamen, or any organ modified from an abortive stamen.

Stammel Stam"mel noun A large, clumsy horse. [ Prov. Eng.] Wright.

Stammel Stam"mel noun [ Old French estamel ; confer Old French estamet a coarse woolen cloth, Late Latin stameta a kind of cloth, the same as staminea , and Old French estame a woolen stuff. See Stamin .] 1. A kind of woolen cloth formerly in use. It seems to have been often of a red color. [ Obsolete]

2. A red dye, used in England in the 15th and 16th centuries. B. Jonson.

Stammel Stam"mel adjective Of the color of stammel; having a red color, thought inferior to scarlet.

Stammer Stam"mer intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Stammered ; present participle & verbal noun Stammering .] [ Middle English stameren , from Anglo-Saxon stamur , stamer , stammering; akin to D. & LG. stameren to stammer, German stammeln , Old High German stammal...n , stamm...n , Danish stamme , Swedish stamma , Icelandic stama , stamma , Old High German & Danish stam stammering, Icelandic stamr , Goth . stamms , and to German stemmen to bear against, stumm dumb, Dutch stom . Confer Stem to resist, Stumble .] To make involuntary stops in uttering syllables or words; to hesitate or falter in speaking; to speak with stops and diffivulty; to stutter.

I would thou couldst stammer , that thou mightest pour this conclead man out of thy mouth, as wine comes out of a narrow-mouthed bottle, either too much at once, or none at all.

Shak.

Stammer Stam"mer transitive verb To utter or pronounce with hesitation or imperfectly; -- sometimes with out .

Stammer Stam"mer noun Defective utterance, or involuntary interruption of utterance; a stutter.

Stammerer Stam"mer·er noun One who stammers.

Stammering Stam"mer·ing adjective Apt to stammer; hesitating in speech; stuttering. -- Stam"mer*ing*ly , adverb

Stammering Stam"mer·ing noun (Physiol.) A disturbance in the formation of sounds. It is due essentially to long-continued spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm, by which expiration is preented, and hence it may be considered as a spasmodic inspiration.

Stamp Stamp transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Stamped ; present participle & verbal noun Stamping .] [ Middle English stampen ; akin to LG. & Dutch stampen , German stampfen , Old High German stanpf...n , Danish stampe , Swedish stampa , Icelandic stappa , German stampf a pestle and English step . See Step , intransitive verb , and confer Stampede .] 1. To strike beat, or press forcibly with the bottom of the foot, or by thrusting the foot downward. Shak.

He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.

Dryden.

2. To bring down (the foot) forcibly on the ground or floor; as, he stamped his foot with rage.

3. To crush; to pulverize; specifically (Metal.) , to crush by the blow of a heavy stamp, as ore in a mill.

I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small.

Deut. ix. 21.

4. To impress with some mark or figure; as, to stamp a plate with arms or initials.

5. Fig.: To impress; to imprint; to fix deeply; as, to stamp virtuous principles on the heart.

God . . . has stamped no original characters on our minds wherein we may read his being.

Locke.

6. To cut out, bend, or indent, as paper, sheet metal, etc., into various forms, by a blow or suddenly applied pressure with a stamp or die, etc.; to mint; to coin.

7. To put a stamp on, as for postage; as, to stamp a letter; to stamp a legal document.

To stamp out , to put an end to by sudden and energetic action; to extinguish; as, to stamp out a rebellion.

Stamp Stamp intransitive verb 1. To strike; to beat; to crush.

These cooks how they stamp and strain and grind.

Chaucer.

2. To strike the foot forcibly downward.

But starts, exclaims, and stamps , and raves, and dies.

dennis.

Stamp Stamp noun 1. The act of stamping, as with the foot.

2. The which stamps; any instrument for making impressions on other bodies, as a die.

'T is gold so pure
It can not bear the stamp without alloy.

Dryden.

3. The mark made by stamping; a mark imprinted; an impression.

That sacred name gives ornament and grace,
And, like his stamp , makes basest metals pass.

Dryden.

4. that which is marked; a thing stamped.

hanging a golden stamp about their necks.

Shak.

5. [ French estampe , of german origin. See Stamp , transitive verb ] A picture cut in wood or metal, or made by impression; a cut; a plate. [ Obsolete]

At Venice they put out very curious stamps of the several edifices which are most famous for their beauty and magnificence.

Addison.

6. An offical mark set upon things chargeable with a duty or tax to government, as evidence that the duty or tax is paid; as, the stamp on a bill of exchange.

7. Hence, a stamped or printed device, issued by the government at a fixed price, and required by law to be affixed to, or stamped on, certain papers, as evidence that the government dues are paid; as, a postage stamp ; a receipt stamp , etc.

8. An instrument for cutting out, or shaping, materials, as paper, leather, etc., by a downward pressure.

9. A character or reputation, good or bad, fixed on anything as if by an imprinted mark; current value; authority; as, these persons have the stamp of dishonesty; the Scriptures bear the stamp of a divine origin.

Of the same stamp is that which is obtruded on us, that an adamant suspends the attraction of the loadstone.

Sir T. Browne.

10. Make; cast; form; character; as, a man of the same stamp , or of a different stamp .

A soldier of this season's stamp .

Shak.

11. A kind of heavy hammer, or pestle, raised by water or steam power, for beating ores to powder; anything like a pestle, used for pounding or bathing.

12. A half-penny. [ Obsolete] au. & Fl.

13. plural Money, esp. paper money. [ Slang, U.S.]

Stamp act , an act of the British Parliament [ 1765] imposing a duty on all paper, vellum, and parchment used in the American colonies, and declaring all writings on unstamped materials to be null an void. -- Stamp collector , an officer who receives or collects stamp duties; one who collects postage or other stamps. -- Stamp duty , a duty, or tax, imposed on paper and parchment used for certain writings, as deeds, conveyances, etc., the evidence of the payment of the duty or tax being a stamp. [ Eng.] -- Stamp hammer , a hammer, worked by power, which rises and falls vertically, like a stamp in a stamp mill. -- Stamp head , a heavy mass of metal, forming the head or lower end of a bar, which is lifted and let fall, in a stamp mill. -- Stamp mill (Mining) , a mill in which ore is crushed with stamps; also, a machine for stamping ore. -- Stamp note , a stamped certificate from a customhouse officer, which allows goods to be received by the captain of a ship as freight. [ Eng.] -- Stamp office , an office for the issue of stamps and the reception of stamp duties.

Stampede Stam·pede" noun [ Spanish estampida (in America) a stampede, estampido a crackling, akin to estampar to stamp, of German origin. See Stamp , transitive verb ] A wild, headlong scamper, or running away, of a number of animals; usually caused by fright; hence, any sudden flight or dispersion, as of a crowd or an army in consequence of a panic.

She and her husband would join in the general stampede .

W. Black.

Stampede Stam·pede" intransitive verb To run away in a panic; -- said droves of cattle, horses, etc., also of armies.

Stampede Stam·pede" transitive verb To disperse by causing sudden fright, as a herd or drove of animals.

Stampede Stam·pede" noun Any sudden unconcerted moving or acting together of a number of persons, as from some common impulse; as, a stampede to the gold regions; a stampede in a convention.

Stamper Stamp"er noun 1. One who stamps.

2. An instrument for pounding or stamping.

Stamping Stamp"ing adjective & noun from Stamp , v.

Stamping ground , a place frequented, and much trodden, by animals, wild or domesticated ; hence (Colloq.), the scene of one's labors or exploits; also, one's favorite resort. [ U.S.] -- Stamping machine , a machine for forming metallic articles or impressions by stamping. -- Stamping mill (Mining) , a stamp mill.

Stance Stance noun [ Old French estance . See Stanza .] 1. A stanza. [ Obsolete] Chapman.

2. A station; a position; a site. [ Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Stance Stance noun (Golf) The position of a player's feet, relative to each other and to the ball, when he is making a stroke.

Stanch Stanch transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Stanched ; present participle & verbal noun Stanching .] [ Old French estanchier , French étancher to stpo a liquid from flowing; akin to Pr., Spanish , & Portuguese estancar , Italian stancare to weary, Late Latin stancare , stagnare , to stanch, from Latin stagnare to be or make stagnant. See Stagnate .] 1. To stop the flowing of, as blood; to check; also, to stop the flowing of blood from; as, to stanch a wound. [ Written also staunch .]

Iron or a stone laid to the neck doth stanch the bleeding of the nose.

Bacon.

2. To extinguish; to quench, as fire or thirst. [ Obsolete]

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter S > Page 183 of 266.
« Previous ¦175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 ¦ Next »