Webster's Dictionary, 1913
Stalky adjective Hard as a stalk; resembling a stalk. At the top [ it] bears a great stalky head.
Mortimer.
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 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 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 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 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 (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 noun Installation. [ Obsolete]
Stalled (stald or stal"ĕd) adjective Put or kept in a stall; hence, fatted. "A stalled ox." Prov. xv. 17.
Staller noun A standard bearer. Fuller.
Stalling noun Stabling. Tennyson.
Stallion 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 (stal"m
a n)
noun ;
plural Stallmen (-m
e n).
One who keeps a stall for the sale of merchandise, especially books. Sterne.
Stallon noun A slip from a plant; a scion; a cutting. [ R.] Holinshed.
Stalwart, Stalworth 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 adverb In a stalwart manner.
Stalwartness noun The quality of being stalwart.
Stalworthhood, Stalworthness noun The quality or state of being stalworth; stalwartness; boldness; daring. [ Obsolete]
Stamen 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 adjective Furnished with stamens.
Stamin 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 noun plural See Stamen .
Stamina 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 adjective [ Confer French staminal .] Of or pertaining to stamens or stamina; consisting in stamens.
Staminate 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 transitive verb To indue with stamina. [ R.]
Stamineal, Stamineous 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 adjective [ Stamen + -ferous .] Bearing or having stamens.
Staminode noun (Botany) A staminodium.
Staminodium noun ;
plural Staminodia . [ New Latin
See Stamen , and -
oid .]
(Botany) An abortive stamen, or any organ modified from an abortive stamen.
Stammel noun A large, clumsy horse. [ Prov. Eng.] Wright.
Stammel 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 adjective Of the color of stammel; having a red color, thought inferior to scarlet.
Stammer 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 transitive verb To utter or pronounce with hesitation or imperfectly; -- sometimes with out .
Stammer noun Defective utterance, or involuntary interruption of utterance; a stutter.
Stammerer noun One who stammers.
Stammering adjective Apt to stammer; hesitating in speech; stuttering. -- Stam"mer*ing*ly , adverb
Stammering 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 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 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 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 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 intransitive verb To run away in a panic; -- said droves of cattle, horses, etc., also of armies.
Stampede transitive verb To disperse by causing sudden fright, as a herd or drove of animals.
Stampede 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 noun
1. One who stamps. 2. An instrument for pounding or stamping.
Stamping 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 noun [ Old French
estance . See
Stanza .]
1. A stanza. [ Obsolete]
Chapman. 2. A station; a position; a site. [ Scot.]
Sir W. Scott.
Stance noun (Golf) The position of a player's feet, relative to each other and to the ball, when he is making a stroke.