st -abbr

  1. stanza
  2. state
  3. stitch
  4. stone

St -abbr

  1. saint
  2. stratus
  3. street

ST -abbr

  1. standard time
  2. used after the figure 1 to indicate the ordinal number first
    • 1 st
    • 91 st

sta -abbr

  1. station

stab ['stab] -n

  1. a wound produced by a pointed weapon
  2. a thrust of a pointed weapon
  3. a jerky thrust
  4. effort, try
  5. a sudden sharp feeling
    • stab s of regret
  6. to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed weapon
  7. thrust, drive
  8. to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon

sta·bile ['stā-,bī(-ə)l, -,bil] -adj

  1. stationary, stable
  2. an abstract sculpture or construction similar in appearance to a mobile but made to be stationary

sta·bi·lise ['stā-bə-,līz] -vb, n

(variant of stabilize)

  1. to make stable, steadfast, or firm
  2. : to hold steady: as
  3. to maintain the stability of (as an airplane) by means of a stabilizer
  4. to limit fluctuations of (as prices)
  5. to establish a minimum price for
  6. to become stable, firm, or steadfast

sta·bil·i·ty [stə-'bi-lə-tē] -n

  1. : the quality, state, or degree of being stable: as
  2. the strength to stand or endure : firmness
  3. the property of a body that causes it when disturbed from a condition of equilibrium or steady motion to develop forces or moments that restore the original condition
  4. resistance to chemical change or to physical disintegration
  5. residence for life in one monastery

sta·bi·lize ['stā-bə-,līz] -vb, n

  1. to make stable, steadfast, or firm
  2. : to hold steady: as
  3. to maintain the stability of (as an airplane) by means of a stabilizer
  4. to limit fluctuations of (as prices)
  5. to establish a minimum price for
  6. to become stable, firm, or steadfast

sta·bi·liz·er ['stā-bə-,lī-zər] -n

  1. : one that stabilizes something: as
  2. a substance added to another substance (as an explosive or plastic) or to a system (as an emulsion) to prevent or retard an unwanted alteration of physical state
  3. a gyroscope device to keep ships steady in a heavy sea
  4. an airfoil providing stability for an airplane
  5. the fixed horizontal member of the tail assembly

sta·ble ['stā-bəl] -n

  1. a building in which domestic animals are sheltered and fed
  2. such a building having stalls or compartments
    • a horse stable
  3. the racehorses of one owner
  4. a group of people (as athletes, writers, or performers) under one management
  5. the racing cars of one owner
  6. group, collection

stable [-b(ə-)liŋ] -vb

  1. to put or keep in a stable
  2. to dwell in or as if in a stable
  3. firmly established : fixed, steadfast
    • stable opinions
  4. not changing or fluctuating : unvarying
    • in stable condition
  5. permanent, enduring
    • stable civilizations
  6. steady in purpose : firm in resolution
  7. not subject to insecurity or emotional illness : sane, rational
    • a stable personality
  8. placed so as to resist forces tending to cause motion or change of motion
  9. designed so as to develop forces that restore the original condition when disturbed from a condition of equilibrium or steady motion
  10. not readily altering in chemical makeup or physical state
    • stable emulsions
  11. not spontaneously radioactive

stable fly -n

  1. a biting dipteran fly ( Stomoxys calcitrans) that resembles the common housefly and is abundant about stables

sta·ble·mate ['stā-bəl-,māt] -n

  1. an animal stabled with another
  2. a member of a stable

sta·bler [-b(ə-)lər] -n

  1. one who keeps a stable

stabling -n

  1. accommodation for animals in a building
  2. the building for this

stab·lish ['sta-blish] -vb, n

  1. establish

stac·ca·to [stə-'kä-(,)tō] -adj, adv, n

  1. cut short or apart in performing : disconnected
    • staccato notes
  2. marked by short clear-cut playing or singing of tones or chords
    • a staccato style
  3. abrupt, disjointed
    • staccato screams

staccato mark -n

  1. a pointed vertical stroke or a dot placed over or under a musical note to be produced staccato

stack ['stak] -n

  1. a large usu. conical pile (as of hay, straw, or grain in the sheaf) left standing in the field for storage
  2. an orderly pile or heap
  3. a large quantity or number
  4. an English unit of measure esp. for firewood that is equal to 108 cubic feet
  5. a number of flues embodied in one structure rising above a roof
  6. a vertical pipe (as to carry off smoke)
  7. the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine
  8. a structure of bookshelves for compact storage of books usu. used in pl.
  9. a section of a building housing such structures
  10. a pile of poker chips
  11. a memory or a section of memory in a computer for temporary storage in which the last item stored is the first retrieved
  12. a data structure that simulates a stack
    • a push-down stack
  13. a computer memory consisting of arrays of memory elements stacked one on top of another
  14. to arrange in a stack : pile
  15. to pile in or on
    • stack ed the table with books
    • stack the dishwasher
  16. to arrange secretly for cheating
    • stack a deck of cards
  17. to arrange or fix so as to make a particular result likely
    • the odds are stack ed against us
    • will stack juries to suit themselves -- Patrice Horn
  18. to assign (an airplane) by radio to a particular altitude and position within a group circling before landing
  19. to put into a waiting line
    • another dozen rigs are stack ed up and waiting -- P. H. Hutchins, Jr.
  20. compare used with against
    • such a crime is nothing when stack ed against a murder -- Pete Censky
  21. to form a stack

stack·able ['sta-kə-bəl] -adj

  1. easily arranged in a stack

stacked ['stakt] -adj

  1. having large breasts

stack up -vi

  1. to add up : total
  2. measure up, compare usu. used with against

stac·te ['stak-tē] -n

  1. a sweet spice used by the ancient Jews in preparing incense

stad·dle ['sta-dᵊl] -n

  1. a base (as of piling) for a stack of hay or straw

stade ['stād] -n

  1. stadium

sta·dia ['stā-dē-ə] -n

  1. a surveying method for determination of distances and differences of elevation by means of a telescopic instrument having two horizontal lines through which the marks on a graduated rod are observed
  2. the instrument or rod

sta·di·um ['stā-dē-əm] -n

  1. any of various ancient Greek units of length ranging in value from 607 to 738 feet (about 185 to 225 meters)
  2. an ancient Roman unit of length equal to 607 feet (185 meters)
  3. a course for footraces in ancient Greece orig. one stadium in length
  4. a tiered structure with seats for spectators surrounding an ancient Greek running track
  5. a large usu. roofless building with tiers of seats for spectators at sports events
  6. a stage in a life history
  7. one between successive molts of an insect

stadt·hold·er ['stat-,hōl-dər] -n

  1. a viceroy in a province of the Netherlands
  2. a chief executive officer of the provinces that formed a union leading to establishment of the Netherlands

staff ['staf] -n, adj

  1. a long stick carried in the hand for support in walking
  2. : a supporting rod: as
  3. shaft
  4. a crosspiece in a ladder or chair : rung
  5. flagstaff
  6. a pivoted arbor
  7. club, cudgel
  8. crosier
  9. a rod carried as a symbol of office or authority
  10. the horizontal lines with their spaces on which music is written called also stave
  11. any of various graduated sticks or rules used for measuring : rod
  12. the officers chiefly responsible for the internal operations of an institution or business
  13. a group of officers appointed to assist a civil executive or commanding officer
  14. military or naval officers not eligible for operational command
  15. the personnel who assist a director in carrying out an assigned task
  16. a member of a staff
    • employs three full-time staff
  17. to supply with a staff or with workers
  18. to serve as a staff member of
    • an organization staff ed by volunteers

staff·er ['sta-fər] -n

  1. a member of a staff (as of a newspaper)

staff officer -n

  1. a commissioned officer assigned to a military commander's staff

staff of life

  1. a staple of diet
  2. bread

Staf·ford·shire bull terrier ['sta-fərd-,shir-, -shər-] -n

  1. any of a breed of compact muscular terriers that have a short stiff glossy coat, were developed in England by crossing bulldogs and terriers, and were orig. bred for dogfighting

Staffs -abbr

  1. Staffordshire

staff sergeant -n

  1. a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army above a sergeant and below a platoon sergeant or sergeant first class, in the air force above a sergeant and below a technical sergeant, and in the marine corps above a sergeant and below a gunnery sergeant

staff sergeant major -n

  1. a noncommissioned officer in the army ranking above a master sergeant

staff tree -n

  1. any of a genus ( Celastrusof the family Celastraceae, the staff-tree family) of mostly twining shrubby plants including the common bittersweet

stag ['stag] -n

  1. an adult male red deer
  2. the male of various other deer (esp. genus Cervus)
  3. a young horse
  4. a young unbroken stallion
  5. a male animal castrated after sexual maturity
  6. a young adult male domestic chicken or turkey
  7. a social gathering of men only
  8. one who attends a dance or party without a companion
  9. to spy on
  10. to attend a dance or party without a companion
  11. restricted to men
    • a stag party
  12. intended or suitable for a gathering of men only
  13. pornographic
    • stag movies
  14. unaccompanied by someone of the opposite sex
    • stag women

stag beetle -n

  1. any of a family (Lucanidae) of mostly large beetles having males with long and often branched mandibles suggesting the antlers of a stag

stage ['stāj] -n, adj

  1. one of a series of positions or stations one above the other : step
  2. the height of the surface of a river above an arbitrary zero point
    • flood stage
  3. a raised platform
  4. the part of a theater on which the acting takes place and which often includes the wings
  5. the acting profession : the theater as an occupation or activity
  6. soundstage
  7. a center of attention or scene of action
  8. a scaffold for workmen
  9. the small platform of a microscope on which an object is placed for examination
  10. a place of rest formerly provided for those traveling by stagecoach : station
  11. the distance between two stopping places on a road
  12. stagecoach
  13. : a period or step in a process, activity, or development: as
  14. one of the distinguishable periods of growth and development of a plant or animal
    • the larval stage of an insect
  15. a period or phase in the course of a disease
  16. the degree of involvement or severity of a disease
  17. one passing through a (specified) stage
  18. an element or part of an electronic device (as an amplifier)
  19. one of two or more sections of a rocket that have their own fuel and engine
  20. to produce (as a play) on a stage
  21. to produce or cause to happen for public view or public effect
    • stage a track meet
    • stage a hunger strike
  22. to determine the phase or severity of (a disease) based on a classification of established symptomatic criteria
  23. to evaluate (a patient) to determine the phase, severity, or progression of a disease
  24. intended to represent a type or stereotype
    • a stage Irishman
    • a stage French accent

stage business -n

  1. business

stage·coach ['stāj-,kōch] -n

  1. a horse-drawn passenger and mail coach running on a regular schedule between established stops

stage·craft [-,kraft] -n

  1. the effective management of theatrical devices or techniques

stage direction -n

  1. a description (as of a character or setting) or direction (as to indicate stage business) provided in the text of a play

stage director -n

  1. director
  2. stage manager

stage fright -n

  1. nervousness felt at appearing before an audience

stage·hand ['stāj-,hand] -n

  1. a stage worker who handles scenery, properties, or lights

stage left -n

  1. the left part of a stage from the viewpoint of one who faces the audience

stageman·age [-,ma-nij] -vt, n

  1. to arrange or exhibit so as to achieve a desired effect
  2. to arrange or direct from behind the scenes
  3. to act as stage manager for

stage manager -n

  1. one who supervises the physical aspects of a stage production, assists the director during rehearsals, and is in charge of the stage during a performance

stag·er ['stā-jər] -n

  1. an experienced person : veteran

stage right -n

  1. the right part of a stage from the viewpoint of one who faces the audience

stage set -n

  1. scenery and properties designed and arranged for a particular scene in a play

stage·struck ['stāj-,strək] -adj

  1. fascinated by the stage
  2. having an ardent desire to become an actor

stage whisper -n, vb

  1. a loud whisper by an actor that is audible to the spectators but is supposed for dramatic effect not to be heard by one or more of the actors
  2. an audible whisper

stag·fla·tion [,stag-'flā-shən] -n, adj

  1. persistent inflation combined with stagnant consumer demand and relatively high unemployment

stag·ger ['sta-gər] -vb, n

  1. to reel from side to side : totter
  2. to move on unsteadily
    • stagger ed toward the door
  3. to waver in purpose or action : hesitate
  4. to rock violently
    • the ship stagger ed
  5. to cause to doubt or hesitate : perplex
  6. to cause to reel or totter
  7. to arrange in any of various zigzags, alternations, or overlappings of position or time
    • stagger work shifts
    • stagger teeth on a cutter

stagger -n

  1. an abnormal condition of domestic animals associated with damage to the central nervous system and marked by incoordination and a reeling unsteady gait
  2. a reeling or unsteady gait or stance
  3. an arrangement in which the leading edge of the upper wing of a biplane is advanced over that of the lower
  4. marked by an alternating or overlapping pattern

stag·ger·bush ['sta-gər-,bu̇sh] -n

  1. a shrubby heath ( Lyonia mariana) of the eastern U.S. that is poisonous to livestock
  2. a congeneric heath

staggering -adj, adv

  1. so great as to cause one to stagger : astonishing, overwhelming
    • a staggering feat
    • staggering medical bills

stag·gery ['sta-g(ə-)rē] -adj

  1. unsteady

stag·gy ['sta-gē] -adj

  1. having the appearance of a mature male used of female or castrated male domestic animals

stag·horn coral ['stag-,hȯrn-] -n

  1. any of several large branching corals (genus Acropora,esp. A. cervicornis) that somewhat resemble antlers

staghorn sumac -n

  1. a sumac ( Rhus typhina) of eastern No. America that is a shrub or small tree with velvety-pubescent branches and flower stalks, leaves turning brilliant red in fall, and dense panicles of greenish-yellow flowers followed by hairy crimson fruits

stag·hound ['stag-,hau̇nd] -n

  1. a hound formerly used in hunting the stag and other large animals
  2. a large heavy hound resembling the English foxhound

staging -n

  1. scaffolding
  2. the business of running stagecoaches
  3. the act of journeying in stagecoaches
  4. the act of putting on a play
  5. the moving of troops or materiel forward in several stages
  6. the assembling of troops or materiel in transit in a particular place

staging area -n

  1. an area in which participants in a new esp. military operation or mission are assembled and readied

staging ground -n

  1. a place where something is planned or initiated

staging post -n

  1. stopover

Stag·i·rite ['sta-jə-,rīt] -n

  1. a native or resident of Stagira
    • Aristotle the Stagirite

stag·nant ['stag-nənt] -adj, n, adv

  1. not flowing in a current or stream
    • stagnant water
  2. stale
    • long disuse had made the air stagnant and foul -- Bram Stoker
  3. not advancing or developing
    • a stagnant economy

stag·nate ['stag-,nāt] -vi, n

  1. to become or remain stagnant

stagy ['stā-jē] -adj, adv, n

  1. of or characteristic of the stage
  2. marked by pretense or artificiality : theatrical

staid ['stād] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by settled sedateness and often prim self-restraint : sober, grave

staid ['stā] -n

(variant of stay)

  1. a large strong rope usu. of wire used to support a mast
  2. guy
  3. to secure upright with or as if with stays
  4. to incline (a mast) forward, aft, or to one side by the stays
  5. to go about : tack
  6. to stop going forward : pause
  7. to stop doing something : cease
  8. to continue in a place or condition : remain
    • stay ed up all night
    • went for a short vacation but stay ed on for weeks
    • stay put till I come back
  9. to stand firm
  10. to take up residence : lodge
  11. to keep even in a contest or rivalry
    • stay with the leaders
  12. to call a poker bet without raising
  13. to be in waiting or attendance
  14. to wait for : await
  15. to stick or remain with (as a race or trial of endurance) to the end usu. used in the phrase stay the course
  16. to remain during
    • stay ed the whole time
  17. to stop or delay the proceeding or advance of by or as if by interposing an obstacle : halt
  18. to check the course of (as a disease)
  19. allay, pacify
    • stay ed tempers
  20. to quiet the hunger of temporarily
  21. the action of halting : the state of being stopped
  22. a stopping or suspension of procedure or execution by judicial or executive order
  23. self-control, moderation
  24. a residence or sojourn in a place
  25. capacity for endurance
  26. one that serves as a prop : support
  27. a thin firm strip (as of plastic) used for stiffening a garment or part (as a shirt collar)
  28. a corset stiffened with bones usu. used in pl.
  29. to provide physical or moral support for : sustain
  30. to fix on something as a foundation

stain ['stān] -vb, adj, n

  1. to suffuse with color
  2. discolor, soil
  3. taint
    • a conscience stain ed with guilt
  4. to bring discredit on
    • the scandal stain ed his reputation
  5. to color (as wood, glass, or cloth) by processes affecting chemically or otherwise the material itself
  6. to receive a stain
  7. a soiled or discolored spot
  8. a natural spot of color contrasting with the ground
  9. a taint of guilt : stigma
  10. : a preparation (as of dye or pigment) used in staining: as
  11. a dye or pigment capable of penetrating the pores of wood
  12. a dye or mixture of dyes used in microscopy to make visible minute and transparent structures, to differentiate tissue elements, or to produce specific chemical reactions

stain·abil·i·ty [,stā-nə-'bi-lə-tē] -n

  1. the capacity of cells and cell parts to stain specifically and consistently with particular dyes and stains

stained glass -n

  1. glass colored or stained (as by fusing metallic oxides into it) for decorative applications (as in windows)

stain·less ['stān-ləs] -adj, adv

  1. free from stain or stigma
    • the stainless purity of his boyish life -- Oscar Wilde
  2. highly resistant to stain or corrosion
  3. made from materials resistant to stain
    • stainless silverware

stainless -n

  1. tableware made of stainless steel

stainless steel -n

  1. an alloy of steel with chromium and sometimes another element (as nickel or molybdenum) that is practically immune to rusting and ordinary corrosion

stair ['ster] -n

  1. a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another often used in pl. but sing. or pl. in constr.
    • a narrow private stair s -- Lewis Mumford
  2. a single step of a stairway

stair·case [-,kās] -n

  1. the structure containing a stairway
  2. a flight of stairs with the supporting framework, casing, and balusters

stairclimb·er ['ster-'klī-mər] -n

  1. an exercise apparatus that simulates the act of climbing stairs

stair·way [-,wā] -n

  1. one or more flights of stairs usu. with landings to pass from one level to another

stair·well [-,wel] -n

  1. a vertical shaft in which stairs are located

stake ['stāk] -n

  1. a pointed piece of wood or other material driven or to be driven into the ground as a marker or support
  2. a post to which a person is bound for execution by burning
  3. execution by burning at a stake
  4. something that is staked for gain or loss
  5. the prize in a contest
  6. an interest or share in an undertaking or enterprise
  7. a Mormon territorial jurisdiction comprising a group of wards
  8. grubstake
  9. stakes race usu. used in pl. but sing. or pl. in constr.
  10. to mark the limits of by or as if by stakes
  11. to tether to a stake
  12. bet, wager
  13. to fasten up or support (as plants) with stakes
  14. to back financially
  15. grubstake

stake body -n

  1. an open motortruck body consisting of a platform with upright sticks inserted along the outside edges to retain a load

stake·hold·er ['stāk-,hōl-dər] -n

  1. a person entrusted with the stakes of bettors
  2. one that has a stake in an enterprise
  3. one who is involved in or affected by a course of action

stake·out ['stāk-,au̇t] -n

  1. a surveillance maintained by the police of an area or a person suspected of criminal activity

stake out -vt

  1. to assign (as a police officer) to an area usu. to conduct a surveillance
  2. to maintain a stakeout of
  3. to claim as one's own

stakes race -n

  1. a horse race in which the prize offered is made up at least in part of money (as entry fees) put up by the owners of the horses entered called also stake race

stake truck -n

  1. a truck having a stake body called also stake-bed truck

Sta·kha·nov·ite [stə-'kä-nə-,vīt] -n, adj

  1. a Soviet industrial worker awarded recognition and special privileges for output beyond production norms

sta·lac·tite [stə-'lak-,tīt also 'sta-lək-] -n, adj

  1. a deposit of calcium carbonate (as calcite) resembling an icicle hanging from the roof or sides of a cave

sta·lag ['stä-,läg] -n

  1. a German prison camp for noncommissioned officers or enlisted men
  2. prison camp

sta·lag·mite [stə-'lag-,mīt also 'sta-ləg-] -n, adj

  1. a deposit of calcium carbonate like an inverted stalactite formed on the floor of a cave by the drip of calcareous water

stale ['stāl] -adj, adv, n

  1. tasteless or unpalatable from age
    • stale bread
  2. tedious from familiarity
    • a stale routine
  3. impaired in legal force or effect by reason of being allowed to rest without timely use, action, or demand
    • a stale affidavit
    • a stale debt
  4. impaired in vigor or effectiveness
  5. to make stale
  6. to make common : cheapen
  7. to become stale
  8. urinate used chiefly of camels and horses
  9. urine of a domestic animal (as a horse)

stale·mate ['stāl-,māt] -n

  1. a drawing position in chess in which a player is not in checkmate but has no legal move to play
  2. a drawn contest : deadlock
  3. the state of being stalemated

stalemate -vt

  1. to bring into a stalemate

Sta·lin·ism ['stä-lə-,ni-zəm, 'sta-] -n, n or adj, vt

  1. the political, economic, and social principles and policies associated with Stalin
  2. the theory and practice of communism developed by Stalin from Marxism-Leninism and marked esp. by rigid authoritarianism, widespread use of terror, and often emphasis on Russian nationalism

stalk ['stȯk] -n, adj

  1. a slender upright object or supporting or connecting part
  2. peduncle
  3. the main stem of an herbaceous plant often with its dependent parts
  4. a part of a plant (as a petiole or stipe) that supports another
  5. to pursue quarry or prey stealthily
  6. to walk stiffly or haughtily
  7. to pursue by stalking
  8. to go through (an area) in search of prey or quarry
    • stalk the woods for deer
  9. to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment
  10. the act of stalking
  11. a stalking gait

stalk·ing horse ['stȯ-kiŋ-] -n

  1. a horse or a figure like a horse behind which a hunter stalks game
  2. something used to mask a purpose
  3. a candidate put forward to divide the opposition or to conceal someone's real candidacy

stall ['stȯl] -n

  1. a compartment for a domestic animal in a stable or barn
  2. a space marked off for parking a motor vehicle
  3. a seat in the chancel of a church with back and sides wholly or partly enclosed
  4. a church pew
  5. a front orchestra seat in a theater usu. used in pl.
  6. a booth, stand, or counter at which articles are displayed for sale
  7. a protective sheath for a finger or toe
  8. a small compartment
    • a shower stall
  9. one with a toilet or urinal
  10. to put into or keep in a stall
  11. install
  12. to bring to a standstill : block
  13. mire
  14. to cause (an engine) to stop usu. inadvertently
  15. to cause (an aircraft or airfoil) to go into a stall
  16. to come to a standstill (as from mired wheels or engine failure)
  17. to experience a stall in flying
  18. the condition of an airfoil or aircraft in which excessive angle of attack causes disruption of airflow with attendant loss of lift
  19. a ruse to deceive or delay
  20. to play for time : delay
  21. to hold off, divert, or delay by evasion or deception

stallfeed ['stȯl-,fēd] -vt

  1. to feed in a stall esp. so as to fatten
    • stallfeed an ox

stall·hold·er [-,hōl-dər] -n

  1. one who manages a stall at which articles are sold

stal·lion ['stal-yən] -n

  1. an uncastrated male horse : a male horse kept for breeding
  2. a male animal (as a dog or a sheep) kept primarily as a stud

stal·wart ['stȯl-wərt] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit
    • stalwart common sense

stalwart -n

  1. a stalwart person
  2. an unwavering partisan

stal·worth ['stȯl-wərt] -adj, adv, n

(variant of stalwart)

  1. marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit
    • stalwart common sense

sta·men ['stā-mən] -n

  1. a microsporophyll of a seed plant
  2. the pollen-producing male organ of a flower that consists of an anther and a filament

stamin- -comb form

  1. stamen
    • stamin odium

stam·i·na ['sta-mə-nə] -n

  1. staying power, endurance

sta·mi·nate ['stā-mə-nət, 'sta-, -,nāt] -adj

  1. having or producing stamens
  2. having stamens but no pistils

sta·mi·no·di·um [,stā-mə-'nō-dē-əm, ,sta-] -n

  1. an abortive or sterile stamen

stam·mel ['sta-məl] -n

  1. a coarse woolen clothing fabric usu. dyed red and used sometimes for undershirts of penitents
  2. the bright red color of stammel

stam·mer ['sta-mər] -vb, n

  1. to make involuntary stops and repetitions in speaking
  2. to utter with involuntary stops or repetitions

stamp ['stamp; vt2a & vi2 are also 'stämp or 'stȯmp] -vb

  1. to pound or crush with a pestle or a heavy instrument
  2. to strike or beat forcibly with the bottom of the foot
  3. to bring down (the foot) forcibly
  4. to extinguish or destroy by or as if by stamping with the foot usu. used with out
    • stamp out cancer
  5. impress, imprint
    • stamp paid on the bill
  6. to attach a stamp to
  7. to cut out, bend, or form with a stamp or die
  8. to provide with a distinctive character
    • stamp ed with a dreary, institutionalized look -- Bernard Taper
  9. characterize
    • stamp ed as honest women -- W. M. Thackeray
  10. pound
  11. to strike or thrust the foot forcibly or noisily downward
  12. a device or instrument for stamping
  13. the impression or mark made by stamping or imprinting
  14. a distinctive character, indication, or mark
  15. a lasting imprint
  16. the act of stamping
  17. a stamped or printed paper affixed in evidence that a tax has been paid
  18. postage stamp

stam·pede [(,)stam-'pēd] -n

  1. a wild headlong rush or flight of frightened animals
  2. a mass movement of people at a common impulse
  3. an extended festival combining a rodeo with exhibitions, contests, and social events

stampede -vb, n

  1. to cause to run away in headlong panic
  2. to cause (as a group of people) to act on sudden or rash impulse
  3. to flee headlong in panic
  4. to act on mass impulse

stamp·er ['stam-pər, 'stäm-, 'stȯm-; compare ¹stamp] -n

  1. : one that stamps: as
  2. a worker who performs an industrial stamping operation
  3. an implement for pounding or stamping
  4. any of various stamping machines

stamping ground ['stam-piŋ, 'stäm-, 'stȯm-] -n

  1. stomping ground

stamp mill ['stamp-] -n

  1. a mill in which ore is crushed with stamps
  2. a machine for stamping ore

stamp tax -n

  1. a tax collected by means of a stamp purchased and affixed (as to a deck of playing cards)
  2. such a tax on a document (as a deed or promissory note) called also stamp duty

stance ['stan(t)s] -n

  1. station
  2. site
  3. a way of standing or being placed : posture
  4. intellectual or emotional attitude
    • took an antiwar stance
  5. the position of the feet of a golfer or batter preparatory to making a swing
  6. the position of both body and feet from which an athlete starts or operates

stanch ['stȯnch, 'stänch, 'stanch] -vt, n

  1. to check or stop the flowing of
    • stanch ed her tears
  2. to stop the flow of blood from (a wound)
  3. allay, extinguish
  4. to stop or check in its course
    • trying to stanch the crime wave
  5. to make watertight : stop up

(variant of staunch)

  1. watertight, sound
  2. strongly built : substantial
  3. steadfast in loyalty or principle
    • a staunch friend

stan·chion ['stan-chən] -n, adj

  1. an upright bar, post, or support (as for a roof or a ship's deck)
  2. a device that fits loosely around the neck of an animal (as a cow) and limits forward and backward motion (as in a stall)

stand ['stand] -vb, n

  1. to support oneself on the feet in an erect position
  2. to be a specified height when fully erect
    • stand s six feet two
  3. to rise to an erect position
  4. to take up or maintain a specified position or posture
    • stand aside
    • can you stand on your head
  5. to maintain one's position
    • stand firm
  6. to be in a particular state or situation
    • stand s accused
  7. to hold a course at sea
  8. hesitate
  9. to have or maintain a relative position in or as if in a graded scale
    • stand s first in the class
  10. to be in a position to gain or lose because of an action taken or a commitment made
    • stand s to make quite a profit
  11. to be a candidate : run
  12. to rest or remain upright on a base or lower end
    • a clock stood on the mantle
  13. to occupy a place or location
    • the house stand s on a knoll
  14. to remain stationary or inactive
    • the car stood in the garage for a week
  15. to gather slowly and remain
    • tears stand ing in her eyes
  16. agree, accord used chiefly in the expression it stands to reason
  17. to exist in a definite written or printed form
    • copy a passage exactly as it stand s
  18. to remain valid or efficacious
    • the order given last week still stand s
  19. to be available as a sire used esp. of horses
  20. to refuse additional cards (as in blackjack)
  21. to endure or undergo successfully
    • this book will stand the test of time
  22. to tolerate without flinching : bear courageously
    • stand s pain well
  23. to endure the presence or personality of
    • can't stand the boss
  24. to derive benefit or enjoyment from
    • you look like you could stand a drink
  25. to remain firm in the face of
    • stand a siege
  26. to submit to
    • stand trial
  27. to perform the duty of
    • stand guard
  28. to participate in (a military formation)
  29. to pay the cost of (a treat) : pay for
    • I'll stand you a dinner
    • stand drinks
  30. to cause to stand : set upright
  31. to make available for breeding
    • stand a stallion
  32. a halt for defense or resistance
  33. an often defensive effort of some duration or degree of success
    • a goal-line stand
  34. a stop made to give a performance
    • a 6-game stand at home
  35. a town where such a stop is made
  36. an act of stopping or staying in one place
  37. a place or post where one stands
  38. a strongly or aggressively held position esp. on a debatable issue
    • took a stand against higher taxes
  39. the place taken by a witness for testifying in court
  40. a section of the tiered seats for spectators of a sport or spectacle
  41. the occupants of such seats
  42. a raised platform (as for a speaker or hunter) serving as a point of vantage
  43. a small often open-air structure for a small retail business
    • a vegetable stand
    • a hot dog stand
  44. a site fit for business opportunity
  45. a place where a passenger vehicle stops or parks
    • a taxi stand
  46. hive
  47. a frame on or in which something may be placed for support
  48. a group of plants growing in a continuous area
  49. a standing posture

standalone ['stand-ə-'lōn] -adj

  1. self-contained
  2. operating or capable of operating independently of a computer system
    • a standalone word processor

stan·dard ['stan-dərd] -n, adj

  1. a conspicuous object (as a banner) formerly carried at the top of a pole and used to mark a rallying point esp. in battle or to serve as an emblem
  2. a long narrow tapering flag that is personal to an individual or corporation and bears heraldic devices
  3. the personal flag of the head of a state or of a member of a royal family
  4. an organization flag carried by a mounted or motorized military unit
  5. banner
  6. something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example : criterion
    • quite slow by today's standard s
  7. something set up and established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality
  8. the fineness and legally fixed weight of the metal used in coins
  9. the basis of value in a monetary system
    • the gold standard
  10. a structure built for or serving as a base or support
  11. a shrub or herb grown with an erect main stem so that it forms or resembles a tree
  12. a fruit tree grafted on a stock that does not induce dwarfing
  13. the large odd upper petal of a papilionaceous flower (as of the pea)
  14. one of the three inner usu. erect and incurved petals of an iris
  15. a musical composition (as a song) that has become a part of the standard repertoire

standard -adj, adv

  1. constituting or conforming to a standard esp. as established by law or custom
    • standard weight
  2. sound and usable but not of top quality
    • standard beef
  3. regularly and widely used, available, or supplied
    • standard automobile equipment
  4. well-established and very familiar
    • the standard opera
  5. having recognized and permanent value
    • a standard reference work
  6. substantially uniform and well established by usage in the speech and writing of the educated and widely recognized as acceptable
    • standard pronunciation is subject to regional variations

stan·dardbear·er ['stan-dərd-,ber-ər] -n

  1. one who bears a standard or banner
  2. one that leads an organization, movement, or party
    • a standardbearer for political reform

stan·dard·bred [-,bred] -n

  1. any of a breed of trotting and pacing horses developed in the U.S., noted for speed and stamina, and used esp. in harness racing

standard candle -n

  1. candela

standard deviation -n

  1. a measure of the dispersion of a frequency distribution that is the square root of the arithmetic mean of the squares of the deviation of each of the class frequencies from the arithmetic mean of the frequency distribution
  2. a similar quantity found by dividing by one less than the number of squares in the sum of squares instead of taking the arithmetic mean
  3. a parameter that indicates the way in which a probability function or a probability density function is centered around its mean and that is equal to the square root of the moment in which the deviation from the mean is squared

Standard English -n

  1. the English that with respect to spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary is substantially uniform though not devoid of regional differences, that is well established by usage in the formal and informal speech and writing of the educated, and that is widely recognized as acceptable wherever English is spoken and understood

standard error -n

  1. the standard deviation of the probability function or probability density function of a random variable and esp. of a statistic
  2. the standard error of the mean of a sample from a population with a normal distribution that is equal to the standard deviation of the normal distribution divided by the square root of the sample size

standard gauge -n

  1. a railroad gauge of 4 feet 8 inches (1435 millimeters)

stan·dard·ise ['stan-dər-,dīz] -vt, n

(variant of standardize)

  1. to compare with a standard
  2. to bring into conformity with a standard

stan·dardis·sue ['stan-dərd-'i-(,)shü] -adj

  1. standard, typical
    • a standardissue action movie
    • a standardissue blue suit

stan·dard·ize ['stan-dər-,dīz] -vt, n

  1. to compare with a standard
  2. to bring into conformity with a standard

standard of living

  1. the necessities, comforts, and luxuries enjoyed or aspired to by an individual or group
  2. a minimum of necessities, comforts, or luxuries held essential to maintaining a person or group in customary or proper status or circumstances

standard operating procedure -n

  1. established or prescribed methods to be followed routinely for the performance of designated operations or in designated situations called also standing operating procedure

standard position -n

  1. the position of an angle with its vertex at the origin of a rectangular-coordinate system and its initial side coinciding with the positive x-axis

standard schnauzer -n

  1. any of a breed of medium-sized schnauzers that attain a height at the highest point of the shoulder blades of about 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 centimeters) and have a salt-and-pepper or black coat

standard score -n

  1. an individual test score expressed as the deviation from the mean score of the group in units of standard deviation

standard time -n

  1. the time of a region or country that is established by law or general usage as civil time
  2. the mean solar time of a meridian that is a multiple of 15 arbitrarily applied to a local area or to one of the 24 time zones and designated as a number of hours earlier or later than Greenwich time

stand·away ['stan-də-,wā] -adj

  1. standing out from the body
    • a standaway skirt

stand·by ['stan(d)-,bī] -n

  1. one to be relied on esp. in emergencies
  2. a favorite or reliable choice or resource
  3. one that is held in reserve ready for use : substitute

standby -adj

  1. held near at hand and ready for use
    • a standby power plant
    • standby equipment
  2. relating to the act or condition of standing by
    • standby duty
    • a standby period
  3. of, relating to, or traveling by an airline service in which the passenger must wait for an available unreserved seat
    • standby passengers
    • a standby ticket
  4. on a standby basis
    • fly standby

stand by -vi

  1. to be present
  2. to remain apart or aloof
  3. to be or to get ready to act
    • an ambulance was standing by
  4. to remain loyal or faithful to : defend
    • stood by his decision

standdown ['stan(d)-,dau̇n] -n

  1. a relaxation of status of a military unit or force from an alert or operational posture

stand down -vi

  1. to leave the witness stand
  2. to go off duty
  3. to withdraw from a contest, a position of leadership, or a state of alert or readiness
  4. to remove (as a military unit) from active duty

stand·ee [stan-'dē] -n

  1. a standing person : one who occupies standing room

standin ['stand-,in] -n

  1. someone employed to occupy an actor's place while lights and camera are readied
  2. substitute

stand in -vi

  1. to act as a stand-in

stand·ing ['stan-diŋ] -adj

  1. not yet cut or harvested
    • standing timber
    • standing grain
  2. upright on the feet or base : erect
    • the standing audience
  3. not flowing : stagnant
    • standing water
  4. remaining at the same level, degree, or amount for an indeterminate period
    • a standing offer
  5. continuing in existence or use indefinitely
    • a standing joke
  6. established by law or custom
  7. not movable
  8. done from a standing position
    • a standing jump
    • a standing ovation

standing -n

  1. a place to stand in : location
  2. a position from which one may assert or enforce legal rights and duties
  3. length of service or experience esp. as determining rank, pay, or privilege
  4. position or condition in society or in a profession
  5. good reputation
    • a member in good standing
  6. position relative to a standard of achievement or to achievements of competitors
  7. a listing of the standings of individuals or teams (as in a league)
  8. maintenance of position or condition : duration
    • a custom of long standing

standing army -n

  1. a permanent army of paid soldiers

standing committee -n

  1. a permanent committee esp. of a legislative body

standing crop -n

  1. the total amount or number of living things or of one kind of living thing (as an uncut farm crop, the fish in a pond, or organisms in an ecosystem) in a particular area at any given time

standing O [-'ō] -n

  1. a standing ovation

standing order -n

  1. an instruction or prescribed procedure in force permanently or until changed or canceled
  2. any of the rules for the guidance and government of parliamentary procedure which endure through successive sessions until vacated or repealed

standing room -n

  1. space for standing
  2. accommodation available for spectators or passengers after all seats are filled

standing wave -n

  1. a single-frequency mode of vibration of a body or physical system in which the amplitude varies from place to place, is constantly zero at fixed points, and has maxima at other points

stan·dish ['stan-dish] -n

  1. a stand for writing materials : inkstand

stand·off ['stand-,ȯf] -n

  1. tie, deadlock
    • the two teams played to a standoff
  2. a counterbalancing effect
  3. the act of standing off

standoff -adj

  1. standoffish
  2. used for holding something at a distance from a surface
    • a standoff insulator

stand off -vi

  1. to stay at a distance from something
  2. to sail away from the shore
  3. to keep from advancing : repel
  4. put off, stall

stand·off·ish [stand-'ȯ-fish] -adj, adv, n

  1. somewhat cold and reserved

stand oil -n

  1. a thickened drying oil
  2. linseed oil heated to about 600 F (315 C)

stand·out ['stand-,au̇t] -n

  1. one that is prominent or conspicuous esp. because of excellence

stand out -vi

  1. to appear as if in relief : project
  2. to be prominent or conspicuous
    • stands out from the crowd
  3. to steer away from shore
  4. to be stubborn in resolution or resistance

stand·pat ['stan(d)-'pat] -adj

  1. stubbornly conservative : resisting or opposing change

stand pat ['stan(d)-,pa-tər, -'pa-tər] -vi, n

  1. to play one's hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing
  2. to oppose or resist change

stand·pipe ['stan(d)-,pīp] -n

  1. a high vertical pipe or reservoir that is used to secure a uniform pressure in a water-supply system

stand·point [-,pȯint] -n

  1. a position from which objects or principles are viewed and according to which they are compared and judged

stand·still [-,stil] -n

  1. a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : stop
    • brought traffic to a standstill

standup ['stand-,əp] -adj

  1. erect, upright
  2. stiffened to stay upright without folding over
    • a standup collar
  3. performed in, performing in, or requiring a standing position
    • a standup bar
  4. of, relating to, performing, or being a monologue of jokes, gags, or satirical comments delivered usu. while standing alone on a stage or in front of a camera
    • standup comedy
    • a standup comedian
  5. marked by a high degree of personal integrity or loyalty
    • a standup guy
  6. stand-up comedy
  7. a performer of such comedy
  8. a television broadcast in which the reporter or narrator faces the camera with the scene of the story in the background

stand up -vi

  1. to rise to a standing position
  2. to remain sound and intact under stress, attack, or close scrutiny
  3. to fail to keep an appointment with

standup·per ['stand-'ə-pər] -n

  1. stand-up

stane ['stōn] -n

(variant of stone)

  1. : a concretion of earthy or mineral matter:
  2. such a concretion of indeterminate size or shape
  3. rock
  4. : a piece of rock for a specified function: as
  5. a building block
  6. a paving block
  7. a precious stone : gem
  8. gravestone
  9. grindstone
  10. whetstone
  11. a surface upon which a drawing, text, or design to be lithographed is drawn or transferred
  12. : something resembling a small stone: as
  13. calculus
  14. the hard central portion of a drupaceous fruit (as a peach)
  15. a hard stony seed (as of a date)
  16. any of various units of weight
  17. an official British unit equal to 14 pounds (6.3 kilograms)
  18. curling stone
  19. a round playing piece used in various games (as backgammon or go)
  20. a stand or table with a smooth flat top on which to impose or set type
  21. to hurl stones at
  22. to kill by pelting with stones
  23. to make hard or insensitive to feeling
  24. to face, pave, or fortify with stones
  25. to remove the stones or seeds of (a fruit)
  26. to rub, scour, or polish with a stone
  27. to sharpen with a whetstone
  28. entirely, utterly used as an intensive often used in combination
    • stone -broke
    • stone -cold soup
    • stone -dead
  29. of, relating to, or made of stone
  30. absolute, utter
    • pure stone craziness -- Edwin Shrake

Stan·fordBi·net test [,stan-fərd-bi-'nā-] -n

  1. an intelligence test prepared at Stanford University as a revision of the Binet-Simon scale and commonly used with children called also Stanford-Binet

stang ['staŋ] -vt

  1. sting
  2. pang

stan·hope ['sta-nəp] -n

  1. a gig, buggy, or phaeton typically having a high seat and closed back

sta·nine ['stā-,nīn] -n

  1. any of the nine classes into which a set of normalized standard scores arranged according to rank in educational testing are divided, which include the bottom 4 percent and the top 4 percent of the scores in the first and ninth classes and the middle 20 percent in the fifth, and which have a standard deviation of 2 and a mean of 5

Sta·ni·slav·ski method [,sta-nə-'slaf-ski-, -'slav-, -'släf-, -'släv-] -n

  1. a technique in acting by which an actor strives to empathize with the character being portrayed so as to effect a realistic interpretation

stank ['stiŋk] -vi, adj

(variant of stink)

  1. to emit a strong offensive odor
    • stank of urine
  2. to be offensive
    • the election stank of corruption
  3. to be in bad repute
  4. to possess something to an offensive degree
    • stink ing with wealth
  5. to be extremely bad or unpleasant
    • the performance stank
    • that news really stink s
  6. a strong offensive odor : stench
  7. a public outcry against something : fuss
    • made a big stink when asked to leave

stan·na·ry ['sta-nə-rē] -n

  1. any of the regions in England containing establishments for the working of tin usu. used in pl.

stan·nic ['sta-nik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or containing tin esp. with a valence of four

stan·nite ['sta-,nīt] -n

  1. a metallic black or gray mineral that is a sulfide of copper, iron, and tin

stan·nous ['sta-nəs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or containing tin esp. with a valence of two

sta·nol ['sta-,nȯl, 'stā-] -n

  1. any of the fully saturated phytosterols

stan·za ['stan-zə] -n, adj

  1. a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usu. recurring pattern of meter and rhyme : strophe

sta·pe·dec·to·my [,stā-pi-'dek-tə-mē] -n

  1. surgical removal and prosthetic replacement of part or all of the stapes to relieve deafness

sta·pe·di·al [stā-'pē-dē-əl, stə-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or located near the stapes

sta·pe·lia [stə-'pēl-yə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Stapelia) of chiefly African perennial herbs of the milkweed family with succulent typically leafless toothed stems and showy but usu. putrid-smelling star-shaped flowers

sta·pes ['stā-(,)pēz] -n

  1. the innermost ossicle of the middle ear of mammals called also stirrup

staph ['staf] -n

  1. staphylococcus

staph·y·li·nid [,sta-fə-'lī-nəd] -n, adj

  1. rove beetle

staph·y·lo·coc·cal [,sta-f(ə-)lō-'kä-kəl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, caused by, or being a staphylococcus

staph·y·lo·coc·cus [-'kä-kəs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Staphylococcus) of nonmotile gram-positive spherical bacteria that occur singly, in pairs or tetrads, or in irregular clusters and include causative agents of various diseases (as skin infections, food poisoning, and endocarditis)

sta·ple ['stā-pəl] -n

  1. : a usu. U-shaped fastener: as
  2. a metal loop both ends of which are driven into a surface to hold the hook, hasp, or bolt of a lock, secure a rope, or fix a wire in place
  3. a small wire both ends of which are driven through layers of thin and easily penetrable material (as paper) and usu. clinched to hold the layers together
  4. a usu. metal surgical fastener used to hold layers of tissue together (as in the closure of an incision)

staple [-p(ə-)liŋ] -vt

  1. to provide with or secure by staples
  2. a town used as a center for the sale or exportation of commodities in bulk
  3. a place of supply : source
  4. a chief commodity or production of a place
  5. a commodity for which the demand is constant
  6. something having widespread and constant use or appeal
  7. the sustaining or principal element : substance
  8. raw material
  9. textile fiber (as wool and rayon) of relatively short length that when spun and twisted forms a yarn rather than a filament
  10. the length of a piece of such textile fiber
  11. used, needed, or enjoyed constantly usu. by many individuals
  12. produced regularly or in large quantities
    • staple crops such as wheat and rice
  13. principal, chief

sta·pler ['stā-p(ə-)lər] -n

  1. one that deals in staple goods or in staple fiber

stapler -n

  1. one that inserts staples
  2. a small usu. hand-operated device for inserting wire staples

star ['stär] -n, adj

  1. a natural luminous body visible in the sky esp. at night
  2. a self-luminous gaseous spheroidal celestial body of great mass which produces energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions
  3. a planet or a configuration of the planets that is held in astrology to influence one's destiny or fortune usu. used in pl.
  4. a waxing or waning fortune or fame
    • her star was rising
  5. destiny
  6. a conventional figure with five or more points that represents a star
  7. asterisk
  8. an often star-shaped ornament or medal worn as a badge of honor, authority, or rank or as the insignia of an order
  9. one of a group of conventional stars used to place something in a scale of value
  10. something resembling a star
    • was hit on the head and saw star s
  11. the principal member of a theatrical or operatic company who usu. plays the chief roles
  12. a highly publicized theatrical or motion-picture performer
  13. an outstandingly talented performer
    • a track star
  14. a person who is preeminent in a particular field
  15. to sprinkle or adorn with stars
  16. to mark with a star as being preeminent
  17. to mark with an asterisk
  18. to feature in the most prominent or important role
    • the movie star s a famous stage personality
  19. to play the most prominent or important role
  20. to perform outstandingly
  21. of, relating to, or being a star
    • received star billing
  22. of outstanding excellence : preeminent
    • a star athlete

star anise -n

  1. the small brown star-shaped pungent fruit of a Chinese and Vietnamese tree ( Illicium verum) that has a flavor similar to but stronger than anise and is dried and used whole or ground as a spice esp. in Chinese cooking

star apple -n

  1. a tropical American tree ( Chrysophyllum cainito) of the sapodilla family grown in warm regions for ornament or fruit
  2. its usu. green to purple apple-shaped edible fruit that when cut in cross-section reveals a star-shaped pattern formed by the carpels

star·board ['stär-bərd] -n

  1. the right side of a ship or aircraft looking forward

starboard -adj

  1. of, relating to, or situated to starboard
  2. to turn or put (a helm or rudder) to the right

star·burst ['stär-,bərst] -n

  1. something (as a pattern) that resembles diverging rays of light
    • starburst s of color

starch ['stärch] -vt

  1. to stiffen with or as if with starch
  2. a white odorless tasteless granular or powdery complex carbohydrate (C 6H 10O 5) x that is the chief storage form of carbohydrate in plants, is an important foodstuff, and is used also in adhesives and sizes, in laundering, and in pharmacy and medicine
  3. a stiff formal manner : formality
  4. resolute vigor

starcham·ber ['stär-'chām-bər] -adj

  1. characterized by secrecy and often being irresponsibly arbitrary and oppressive

starchy ['stär-chē] -adj, adv, n

  1. containing, consisting of, or resembling starch
    • starchy foods
  2. formal, stiff
    • a starchy lawyer

starcrossed ['stär-,krȯst] -adj

  1. not favored by the stars : ill-fated
    • a pair of starcrossed lovers take their life -- Shak.

star·dom ['stär-dəm] -n

  1. the status or position of a star

star·dust ['stär-,dəst] -n

  1. a feeling or impression of romance, magic, or ethereality

stare ['ster] -vb, n

  1. to look fixedly often with wide-open eyes
  2. to show oneself conspicuously
    • the error stared from the page
  3. to stand on end : bristle
  4. to appear rough and lusterless
  5. to have an effect on by staring
  6. to look at with a searching or earnest gaze
  7. the act or an instance of staring
    • a blank stare

sta·re de·ci·sis [,ster-ē-di-'sī-səs, ,stär-] -n

  1. a doctrine or policy of following rules or principles laid down in previous judicial decisions unless they contravene the ordinary principles of justice

stare down -vt

  1. to cause to waver or submit by or as if by staring

sta·rets ['stär-əts, -yəts] -n

  1. a spiritual director or religious teacher in the Eastern Orthodox Church
  2. a spiritual adviser who is not necessarily a priest, who is recognized for his piety, and who is turned to by monks or laymen for spiritual guidance

star facet -n

  1. one of the eight small triangular facets which abut on the table in the bezel of a brilliant

star·fish ['stär-,fish] -n

  1. any of a class (Asteroidea) of echinoderms that have a body of usu. five arms radially arranged about a central disk and feed largely on mollusks (as oysters) called also sea star

star·flow·er [-,flau̇(-ə)r] -n

  1. any of several plants having star-shaped pentamerous flowers
  2. any of a genus ( Trientalis,esp. T. borealis) of perennial herbs of the primrose family

star fruit -n

  1. carambola

star·gaze [-,gāz] -vi

  1. to gaze at stars
  2. to gaze raptly or contemplatively

star·gaz·er [-,gā-zər] -n

  1. : one who gazes at the stars: as
  2. astrologer
  3. astronomer
  4. any of various marine bony fishes (families Uranoscopidae and Dactyloscopidae) with the eyes on top of a blocky or conical head

star·gaz·ing [-,gā-ziŋ] -n

  1. the act or practice of a stargazer
  2. absorption in chimerical or impractical ideas : woolgathering
  3. the quality or state of being absentminded

star grass -n

  1. any of a genus ( Hypoxisof the family Hypoxidaceae) of grasslike perennial herbs with small star-shaped white or yellow flowers
  2. either of two colicroots ( Aletris farinosaand A. aurea)

stark ['stärk] -adj, adv, n

  1. rigid in or as if in death
  2. rigidly conforming (as to a pattern or doctrine) : absolute
    • stark discipline
  3. strong, robust
  4. utter, sheer
    • stark nonsense
  5. barren, desolate
  6. having few or no ornaments : bare
    • a stark white room
  7. harsh, blunt
    • the stark realities of death
  8. sharply delineated
    • a stark contrast
  9. in a stark manner
  10. to an absolute or complete degree : wholly
    • stark naked
    • stark mad

stark·ers ['stär-kərz] -adj

  1. completely unclothed : naked

star·let ['stär-lət] -n

  1. a young movie actress being coached and publicized for starring roles

star·light [-,līt] -n

  1. the light given by the stars

star·ling ['stär-liŋ] -n

  1. any of a family (Sturnidae, esp. genus Sturnus) of usu. dark gregarious oscine birds
  2. a dark brown or in summer glossy greenish-black European bird ( S. vulgaris) naturalized nearly worldwide and often considered a pest

star·lit ['stär-,lit] -adj

  1. lighted by the stars

starnosed mole ['stär-,nōz(d)-] -n

  1. a common black long-tailed semiaquatic mole ( Condylura cristata) of the northeastern U.S. and adjacent Canada that has a series of pink fleshy projections surrounding the nostrils

starofBeth·le·hem [-'beth-li-,hem, -lē-(h)əm] -n

  1. any of various Old World bulbous herbs (genus Ornithogalum) of the lily family with basal leaves resembling grass
  2. one ( O. umbellatum) with white star-shaped flowers that is naturalized in the eastern U.S.

star of Bethlehem

  1. a star which according to Christian tradition guided the Magi to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem

Star of Da·vid [-'dā-vəd]

  1. magen david

star route -n

  1. a mail-delivery route in a rural or thinly populated area served by a private carrier under contract who takes mail from one post office to another or from a railroad station to a post office and usu. also delivers mail to private mailboxes along the route

star·ry ['stär-ē] -adj

  1. adorned with stars
  2. star-studded
  3. of, relating to, or consisting of stars : stellar
  4. shining like stars : sparkling
  5. having parts arranged like the rays of a star : stellate
  6. as high as or seemingly as high as the stars
    • starry speculations
  7. starry-eyed

star·ryeyed ['stär-ē-,īd] -adj

  1. regarding an object or a prospect in an overly favorable light
  2. characterized by dreamy, impracticable, or utopian thinking : visionary

Stars and Bars -n pl but sing in constr

  1. the first flag of the Confederate States of America having three bars of red, white, and red respectively and a blue union with white stars in a circle representing the seceded states

Stars and Stripes -n pl but sing in constr

  1. the flag of the United States having 13 alternately red and white horizontal stripes and a blue union with white stars representing the states

star sapphire -n

  1. a sapphire that when cut with a convex surface and polished exhibits asterism

star shell -n

  1. a shell that on bursting releases a shower of brilliant stars and is used for signaling
  2. a shell with an illuminating projectile

star·ship ['stär-,ship] -n

  1. a spacecraft designed for interstellar travel

starspan·gled ['stär-,spaŋ-gəld] -adj

  1. star-studded

star·struck [-,strək] -adj

  1. particularly taken with celebrities (as movie stars)

starstud·ded ['stär-,stə-dəd] -adj

  1. abounding in or covered with stars
    • a starstudded cast
    • a starstudded uniform

star system -n

  1. the practice of casting famous performers in principal roles (as in motion pictures or the theater) esp. in order to capitalize on their popular appeal

start ['stärt] -vb

  1. to move suddenly and violently : spring
    • start ed angrily to his feet
  2. to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement
    • start ed when a shot rang out
  3. to issue with sudden force
    • blood start ing from the wound
  4. to come into being, activity, or operation
    • when does the movie start
    • the rain start ed up again
  5. to protrude or seem to protrude
    • eyes start ing from their sockets
  6. to become loosened or forced out of place
    • one of the planks has start ed
  7. to begin a course or journey
    • start ed toward the door
    • just start ing out
  8. to range from a specified initial point
    • the rates start at 10
  9. to begin an activity or undertaking
  10. to begin work
  11. to be a participant in a game or contest
  12. to be in the starting lineup
  13. to cause to leave a place of concealment : flush
    • start a rabbit
  14. startle, alarm
  15. to bring up for consideration or discussion
  16. to bring into being
    • start a rumor
  17. to cause to become loosened or displaced
  18. to begin the use of
    • start a fresh loaf of bread
  19. to cause to move, act, or operate
    • start the motor
  20. to cause to enter a game or contest
  21. to put in the starting lineup
  22. to care for or train during the early stages of growth and development
    • start ed plants
    • a well- started coonhound
  23. to do or experience the first stages or actions of
    • start ed studying music at the age of five
  24. a sudden involuntary bodily movement or reaction
    • woke with a start
  25. a brief and sudden action or movement
  26. a sudden capricious impulse or outburst
  27. a beginning of movement, activity, or development
    • a false start
    • housing start s
  28. head start
  29. a place of beginning
  30. the act or an instance of being a competitor in a race or a member of a starting lineup in a game
    • undefeated in six start s -- Current Biog.

START -abbr

  1. strategic arms reduction talks

start·er ['stär-tər] -n

  1. : a person who initiates or sets going: as
  2. an official who gives the signal to begin a race
  3. one who dispatches vehicles
  4. one that engages in a competition
  5. a member of a starting lineup
  6. one that begins to engage in an activity or process
  7. : one that causes something to begin operating: as
  8. a device for starting an engine
  9. an electric motor used to start an internal combustion engine
  10. material containing microorganisms (as yeast) used to induce a desired fermentation
  11. something that is the beginning of a process, activity, or series
  12. appetizer

starter -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being an item acquired with the expectation that a more elaborate or sophisticated model will be acquired in the future
    • a starter home

star thistle -n

  1. a widely naturalized spiny Old World knapweed ( Centaurea calcitrapa) with purple flowers called also caltrops
  2. any of various knapweeds related to the star thistle

starting block -n

  1. a device that usu. consists of two blocks mounted on either side of an adjustable frame and that provides a runner with a rigid surface against which to brace the feet at the start of a race
  2. one of a series of boxes or low platforms at one end of a pool on which a competitor stands for the start of a swimming race

starting gate -n

  1. a mechanically operated barrier used as a starting device for a race
  2. a barrier that when knocked aside by a competitor (as a skier) starts an electronic timing device

star·tle ['stär-tᵊl] -vb, n

  1. to move or jump suddenly (as in surprise or alarm)
    • the baby startle s easily
  2. to frighten or surprise suddenly and usu. not seriously

startle -n

  1. a sudden mild shock (as of surprise or alarm)

startling -adj, adv

  1. causing momentary fright, surprise, or astonishment
    • a startling discovery

startsy ['stär-əts, -yəts] -n

(variant of starets)

  1. a spiritual director or religious teacher in the Eastern Orthodox Church
  2. a spiritual adviser who is not necessarily a priest, who is recognized for his piety, and who is turned to by monks or laymen for spiritual guidance

startup ['stärt-,əp] -n

  1. the act or an instance of setting in operation or motion
  2. a fledgling business enterprise

star turn -n

  1. the featured skit or number in a theatrical production
  2. the most widely publicized person or item in a group

star·va·tion [stär-'vā-shən] -n

  1. the act or an instance of starving
  2. the state of being starved

starvation wages -n pl

  1. wages insufficient to provide the ordinary necessities of life

starve ['stärv] -vb

  1. to perish from lack of food
  2. to suffer extreme hunger
  3. to die of cold
  4. to suffer greatly from cold
  5. to suffer or perish from deprivation
    • starved for affection
  6. to kill with hunger
  7. to deprive of nourishment
  8. to cause to capitulate by or as if by depriving of nourishment
  9. to destroy by or cause to suffer from deprivation
  10. to kill with cold

starve·ling ['stärv-liŋ] -n

  1. one that is thin from or as if from lack of food

starveling -adj

  1. being a starveling
  2. marked by poverty or inadequacy
    • starveling wages

stash ['stash] -vt

  1. to store in a usu. secret place for future use often used with away
  2. hiding place : cache
  3. something stored or hidden away
    • a stash of narcotics

sta·sis ['stā-səs, 'sta-] -n

  1. : a slowing or stoppage of the normal flow of a bodily fluid or semifluid: as
  2. slowing of the current of circulating blood
  3. reduced motility of the intestines with retention of feces
  4. a state of static balance or equilibrium : stagnation
  5. a state or period of stability during which little or no evolutionary change in a lineage occurs

stat ['stat] -n

  1. statistic usu. used in pl.
  2. without delay : immediately
    • get a doctor stat
  3. statute

sta·tant ['stā-tᵊnt] -adj

  1. standing in profile with all feet on the ground used of a heraldic animal

state ['stāt] -n

  1. mode or condition of being
    • a state of readiness
  2. condition of mind or temperament
    • in a highly nervous state
  3. a condition of abnormal tension or excitement
  4. a condition or stage in the physical being of something
    • insects in the larval state
    • the gaseous state of water
  5. any of various conditions characterized by definite quantities (as of energy, angular momentum, or magnetic moment) in which an atomic system may exist
  6. social position
  7. high rank
  8. elaborate or luxurious style of living
  9. formal dignity : pomp usu. used with in
  10. a body of persons constituting a special class in a society : estate
  11. the members or representatives of the governing classes assembled in a legislative body
  12. a person of high rank (as a noble)
  13. a politically organized body of people usu. occupying a definite territory
  14. one that is sovereign
  15. the political organization of such a body of people
  16. a government or politically organized society having a particular character
    • a police state
    • the welfare state
  17. the operations or concerns of the government of a country
  18. one of the constituent units of a nation having a federal government
    • the fifty state s
  19. The United States of America
  20. the territory of a state
  21. to set by regulation or authority
  22. to express the particulars of esp. in words : report
  23. to express in words

state aid -n

  1. public monies appropriated by a state government for the partial support or improvement of a public local institution

state bank -n

  1. central bank
  2. a bank chartered by and operating under the laws of a state of the U.S.

state bird -n

  1. a bird selected (as by the legislature) as an emblem of a state of the U.S.

state capitalism -n

  1. an economic system in which private capitalism is modified by a varying degree of government ownership and control

state church -n

  1. established church

state college -n

  1. a college that is financially supported by a state government, often specializes in a branch of technical or professional education, and often forms part of the state university

state·craft ['stāt-,kraft] -n

  1. the art of conducting state affairs

stated -adj, adv

  1. fixed, regular
    • the president shall, at stated times, receive...a compensation -- U.S. Constitution
  2. set down explicitly : declared
    • our stated intention

stated clerk -n

  1. an executive officer of a Presbyterian general assembly, synod, or presbytery ranking below the moderator

state flower -n

  1. a flowering plant selected (as by the legislature) as an emblem of a state of the U.S.

state·hood ['stāt-,hu̇d] -n

  1. the condition of being a state
  2. the status of being one of the states of the U.S.

state·house [-,hau̇s] -n

  1. the building in which a state legislature sits

state·less [-ləs] -adj, n

  1. having no state
  2. lacking the status of a national
    • a stateless refugee

state·ly [-lē] -adj, n, adv

  1. marked by lofty or imposing dignity
  2. haughty, unapproachable
  3. impressive in size or proportions

state·ment ['stāt-mənt] -n

  1. : something stated: as
  2. a single declaration or remark : assertion
  3. a report of facts or opinions
  4. the act or process of stating or presenting orally or on paper
  5. proposition
  6. the presentation of a theme in a musical composition
  7. a summary of activity in a financial account over a particular period of time
  8. an opinion, comment, or message conveyed indirectly usu. by nonverbal means
    • monuments are statement s in form and space -- O. B. Hardison, Jr.
  9. an instruction in a computer program

state of the art -adj

  1. the level of development (as of a device, procedure, process, technique, or science) reached at any particular time usu. as a result of modern methods

state of war

  1. a state of actual armed hostilities regardless of a formal declaration of war
  2. a legal state created and ended by official declaration regardless of actual armed hostilities and usu. characterized by operation of the rules of war
  3. the period of time during which a state of war is in effect

sta·ter ['stā-tər, stä-'ter] -n

  1. an ancient gold or silver coin of the Greek city-states

state·room ['stāt-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. cabin
  2. a private room on a railroad car with one or more berths and a toilet

state's attorney -n

  1. a legal officer (as a district attorney) appointed or elected to represent a state in court proceedings within a district called also state attorney

state's evidence -n

  1. a participant in a crime or an accomplice who gives evidence for the prosecution esp. in return for a reduced sentence
  2. the evidence given used chiefly in the phrase turn state's evidence

States General -n pl

  1. the assembly of the three orders of clergy, nobility, and third estate in France before the French Revolution
  2. the legislature of the Netherlands from the 15th century to 1796

state·side ['stāt-,sīd] -adj

  1. being in, going to, coming from, or characteristic of the 48 conterminous states of the U.S.
    • transferred from Europe to stateside duty

stateside -adv

  1. in or to the continental U.S.

states·man ['stāts-mən] -n, adj

  1. one versed in the principles or art of government
  2. one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government or in shaping its policies
  3. one who exercises political leadership wisely and without narrow partisanship

state socialism -n

  1. an economic system with limited socialist characteristics that is effected by gradual state action and typically includes public ownership of major industries and remedial measures to benefit the working class

states' right·er ['stāts-'rī-tər] -n

  1. a person who advocates strict interpretation of the U.S. constitutional guarantee of states' rights

states' rights -n pl

  1. all rights not vested by the U.S. Constitution in the federal government nor forbidden by it to the separate states

state tree -n

  1. a tree selected (as by the legislature) as an emblem of a state of the U.S.

state university -n

  1. a university maintained and administered by one of the states of the U.S. as part of the state public educational system

state·wide ['stāt-'wīd] -adj

  1. affecting or extending throughout all parts of a state

statewide -adv

  1. throughout the state

stat·ic ['sta-tik] -adj, adv

  1. exerting force by reason of weight alone without motion
  2. of or relating to bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium
  3. showing little change
    • a static population
  4. characterized by a lack of movement, animation, or progression
  5. producing an effect of repose or quiescence
    • a static design
  6. standing or fixed in one place : stationary
  7. stored in a tank but not under pressure
  8. of, relating to, or producing stationary charges of electricity : electrostatic
  9. of, relating to, or caused by radio static

static ['sta-ti-kē] -n, adj

  1. noise produced in a radio or television receiver by atmospheric or various natural or man-made electrical disturbances
  2. the electrical disturbances producing this noise
  3. heated opposition or criticism

stat·i·ce ['sta-tə-(,)sē] -n

  1. sea lavender

static electricity -n

  1. electricity that consists of isolated motionless charges (as those produced by friction)

static line -n

  1. a cord attached to a parachute pack and to an airplane to open the parachute after a jumper clears the plane

stat·ics ['sta-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. mechanics dealing with the relations of forces that produce equilibrium among material bodies

static tube -n

  1. a tube used for indicating static as distinct from impact pressure in a stream of fluid

stat·in ['sta-tᵊn] -n

  1. any of a group of drugs (as lovastatin and simvastatin) that inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol and promote the production of LDL-binding receptors in the liver resulting in a usu. marked decrease in the level of LDL and a modest increase in the level of HDL circulating in blood plasma

sta·tion ['stā-shən] -n

  1. the place or position in which something or someone stands or is assigned to stand or remain
  2. any of the places in a manufacturing operation at which one part of the work is done
  3. equipment used usu. by one person for performing a particular job
  4. the act or manner of standing : posture
  5. : a stopping place: as
  6. a regular stopping place in a transportation route
    • a bus station
  7. the building connected with such a stopping place : depot
  8. one of the stations of the cross
  9. a post or sphere of duty or occupation
  10. a stock farm or ranch esp. of Australia or New Zealand
  11. standing, rank
    • a woman of high station
  12. a place for specialized observation and study of scientific phenomena
    • a seismological station
    • a marine biological station
  13. : a place established to provide a public service: as
  14. fire station
  15. police station
  16. a branch post office
  17. gas station
  18. a complete assemblage of radio or television equipment for transmitting or receiving
  19. the place in which such a station is located

station ['stā-sh(ə-)niŋ] -vt

  1. to assign to or set in a station or position : post
    • station a guard at the door

sta·tion·al ['stā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a mass formerly celebrated by the pope at designated churches in Rome on appointed holy days

sta·tion·ary ['stā-shə-,ner-ē] -adj

  1. fixed in a station, course, or mode : immobile
  2. unchanging in condition
    • a stationary population

stationary bicycle -n

  1. an exercise apparatus that can be pedaled like a bicycle called also stationary bike

stationary front -n

  1. the boundary between two air masses neither of which is replacing the other

stationary wave -n

  1. standing wave

station break -n

  1. a pause in a radio or television broadcast for announcement of the identity of the network or station
  2. an announcement or advertisement during this pause

sta·tio·ner ['stā-sh(ə-)nər] -n

  1. bookseller
  2. publisher
  3. one that sells stationery

sta·tio·nery ['stā-shə-,ner-ē] -n

  1. materials (as paper, pens, and ink) for writing or typing
  2. letter paper usu. accompanied with matching envelopes

station house -n

  1. a house at a post or station
  2. police station

sta·tion·mas·ter ['stā-shən-,mas-tər] -n

  1. an official in charge of the operation of a railroad station

stations of the cross

  1. a series of usu. 14 images or pictures esp. in a church that represent the stages of Christ's passion and death
  2. a devotion involving commemorative meditation before the stations of the cross

station wagon -n

  1. an automobile that has a passenger compartment which extends to the back of the vehicle, that has no trunk, that has one or more rear seats which can be folded down to make space for light cargo, and that has a tailgate or liftgate

stat·ism ['stā-,ti-zəm] -n

  1. concentration of economic controls and planning in the hands of a highly centralized government often extending to government ownership of industry

stat·ist ['stā-tist] -n, adj

  1. an advocate of statism

sta·tis·tic [stə-'tis-tik] -n

  1. a single term or datum in a collection of statistics
  2. a quantity (as the mean of a sample) that is computed from a sample
  3. estimate
  4. a random variable that takes on the possible values of a statistic

sta·tis·ti·cal [-ti-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, based on, or employing the principles of statistics
    • statistical analysis

statistical mechanics -n pl but usu sing in constr

  1. a branch of mechanics dealing with the application of the principles of statistics to the mechanics of a system consisting of a large number of parts having motions that differ by small steps over a large range

stat·is·ti·cian [,sta-tə-'sti-shən] -n

  1. one versed in or engaged in compiling statistics

sta·tis·tics [stə-'tis-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data
  2. a collection of quantitative data

sta·tive ['stā-tiv] -adj

  1. expressing a state, condition, or relation

stato- -comb form

  1. resting
    • stato blast
  2. equilibrium
    • stato cyst

stato·blast ['sta-tə-,blast] -n

  1. a bud in a freshwater bryozoan that overwinters in a chitinous envelope and develops into a new individual in spring
  2. gemmule

stato·cyst [-,sist] -n

  1. an organ of equilibrium occurring esp. among invertebrate animals and consisting usu. of a fluid-filled vesicle lined with sensory hairs that detect the position of suspended statoliths

stato·lith ['sta-tə-,lith] -n

  1. any of the usu. calcareous bodies suspended in a statocyst
  2. any of various starch grains or other solid bodies in the plant cytoplasm that are held to be responsible by changes in their position for changes in orientation of a part or organ

sta·tor ['stā-tər] -n

  1. a stationary part in a machine in or about which a rotor revolves

stato·scope ['sta-tə-,skōp] -n

  1. a sensitive aneroid barometer for recording small changes in atmospheric pressure
  2. one used for indicating small changes in the altitude of an aircraft

stat·u·ary ['sta-chə-,wer-ē] -n

  1. sculptor
  2. the art of making statues
  3. a collection of statues : statues

statuary -adj

  1. of, relating to, or suitable for statues

stat·ue ['sta-(,)chü] -n

  1. a three-dimensional representation usu. of a person, animal, or mythical being that is produced by sculpturing, modeling, or casting

Statue of Liberty

  1. a large copper statue of a woman holding a torch aloft in her right hand located on Liberty Island in New York harbor
  2. a trick play in football in which the ballcarrier takes the ball from the raised hand of a teammate who is faking a pass

stat·u·esque [,sta-chə-'wesk] -adj, adv

  1. resembling a statue esp. in dignity, shapeliness, or stillness
  2. having a tall and shapely form
    • a statuesque actress

stat·u·ette [,sta-chə-'wet] -n

  1. a small statue

stat·ure ['sta-chər] -n

  1. natural height (as of a person) in an upright position
  2. quality or status gained by growth, development, or achievement

sta·tus ['stā-təs, 'sta-] -n

  1. position or rank in relation to others
    • the status of a father
  2. relative rank in a hierarchy of prestige
  3. high prestige
  4. the condition of a person or thing in the eyes of the law
  5. state or condition with respect to circumstances
    • the status of the negotiations

status offender -n

  1. a young offender (as a runaway or a truant) who is under the jurisdiction of a court for repeated offenses that are not crimes

status quo [-'kwō] -n

  1. the existing state of affairs
    • seeks to preserve the status quo

status quo an·te [-'an-tē] -n

  1. the state of affairs that existed previously

sta·tusy ['stā-tə-sē, 'sta-] -adj

  1. having, showing, or conferring prestige
    • a statusy job

stat·ut·able ['sta-chə-tə-bəl, 'sta-,chü-] -adj

  1. made, regulated, or imposed by or in conformity to statute : statutory
    • statutable tonnage

stat·ute ['sta-(,)chüt, -chət] -n

  1. a law enacted by the legislative branch of a government
  2. an act of a corporation or of its founder intended as a permanent rule
  3. an international instrument setting up an agency and regulating its scope or authority

statute book -n

  1. the whole body of legislation of a given jurisdiction whether or not published as a whole usu. used in pl.

statute mile -n

  1. mile

statute of limitations

  1. a statute assigning a certain time after which rights cannot be enforced by legal action or offenses cannot be punished

stat·u·to·ry ['sta-chə-,tȯr-ē] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to statutes
  2. enacted, created, or regulated by statute
    • a statutory age limit

statutory rape -n

  1. sexual intercourse with a person who is below the statutory age of consent

staunch ['stȯnch, 'stänch, 'stanch] -vt, n

(variant of stanch)

  1. to check or stop the flowing of
    • stanch ed her tears
  2. to stop the flow of blood from (a wound)
  3. allay, extinguish
  4. to stop or check in its course
    • trying to stanch the crime wave
  5. to make watertight : stop up

stau·ro·lite ['stȯr-ə-,līt] -n, adj

  1. a mineral consisting of a basic silicate of iron and aluminum in prismatic orthorhombic crystals often twinned so as to resemble a cross

stave ['stāv] -n

  1. staff
  2. any of the narrow strips of wood or narrow iron plates placed edge to edge to form the sides, covering, or lining of a vessel (as a barrel) or structure
  3. stanza
  4. staff
  5. to break in the staves of (a cask)
  6. to smash a hole in
    • stove in the boat
  7. to crush or break inward
    • staved in several ribs
  8. to drive or thrust away
  9. to become stove in used of a boat or ship
  10. to walk or move rapidly

stave off -vt

  1. to fend off
    • staving off creditors
  2. to ward off (as something adverse) : forestall
    • trying to stave off disaster

staves ['staf] -n, adj

(variant of staff)

  1. a long stick carried in the hand for support in walking
  2. : a supporting rod: as
  3. shaft
  4. a crosspiece in a ladder or chair : rung
  5. flagstaff
  6. a pivoted arbor
  7. club, cudgel
  8. crosier
  9. a rod carried as a symbol of office or authority
  10. the horizontal lines with their spaces on which music is written called also stave
  11. any of various graduated sticks or rules used for measuring : rod
  12. the officers chiefly responsible for the internal operations of an institution or business
  13. a group of officers appointed to assist a civil executive or commanding officer
  14. military or naval officers not eligible for operational command
  15. the personnel who assist a director in carrying out an assigned task
  16. a member of a staff
    • employs three full-time staff
  17. to supply with a staff or with workers
  18. to serve as a staff member of
    • an organization staff ed by volunteers

stav·u·dine ['stav-yü-,dēn] -n

  1. d4T

stay ['stā] -n

  1. a large strong rope usu. of wire used to support a mast
  2. guy
  3. to secure upright with or as if with stays
  4. to incline (a mast) forward, aft, or to one side by the stays
  5. to go about : tack
  6. to stop going forward : pause
  7. to stop doing something : cease
  8. to continue in a place or condition : remain
    • stay ed up all night
    • went for a short vacation but stay ed on for weeks
    • stay put till I come back
  9. to stand firm
  10. to take up residence : lodge
  11. to keep even in a contest or rivalry
    • stay with the leaders
  12. to call a poker bet without raising
  13. to be in waiting or attendance
  14. to wait for : await
  15. to stick or remain with (as a race or trial of endurance) to the end usu. used in the phrase stay the course
  16. to remain during
    • stay ed the whole time
  17. to stop or delay the proceeding or advance of by or as if by interposing an obstacle : halt
  18. to check the course of (as a disease)
  19. allay, pacify
    • stay ed tempers
  20. to quiet the hunger of temporarily
  21. the action of halting : the state of being stopped
  22. a stopping or suspension of procedure or execution by judicial or executive order
  23. self-control, moderation
  24. a residence or sojourn in a place
  25. capacity for endurance
  26. one that serves as a prop : support
  27. a thin firm strip (as of plastic) used for stiffening a garment or part (as a shirt collar)
  28. a corset stiffened with bones usu. used in pl.
  29. to provide physical or moral support for : sustain
  30. to fix on something as a foundation

stayathome ['stā-ət-'hōm] -adj, n

  1. remaining in one's residence, locality, or country
  2. remaining at home esp. to tend to children and domestic duties while a spouse is at work

stay·ca·tion ['stā-'kā-shən] -n

  1. a vacation spent at home or nearby

stay·er ['stā-ər] -n

  1. one that stays
  2. one that upholds or supports

staying power -n

  1. capacity for continuing (as in existence, influence, or popularity) without weakening

stay·sail ['stā-,sāl, -səl] -n

  1. a fore-and-aft sail hoisted on a stay

STB -abbr

  1. bachelor of sacred theology;
  2. bachelor of theology

std -abbr

  1. standard

STD [,es-(,)tē-'dē] -n

  1. any of various diseases or infections (as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and genital herpes) that are usu. transmitted by direct sexual contact and that include some (as hepatitis B and AIDS) that may be contracted by other than sexual means
  2. doctor of sacred theology

Ste -abbr

  1. saint (female)

stead ['sted] -n

  1. locality, place
  2. advantage used chiefly in the phrase to stand one in good stead
  3. the office, place, or function ordinarily occupied or carried out by someone or something else
    • acted in his brother's stead
  4. to be of avail to : help

stead·fast ['sted-,fast also -fəst] -adj, adv, n

  1. firmly fixed in place : immovable
  2. not subject to change
    • the steadfast doctrine of original sin -- Ellen Glasgow
  3. firm in belief, determination, or adherence : loyal
    • her followers have remained steadfast

stead·ing ['ste-dᵊn, 'stē-, -diŋ] -n

  1. a small farm
  2. the service buildings or area of a farm

steady ['ste-dē] -adj, adv, n

  1. direct or sure in movement : unfaltering
    • a steady hand
  2. firm in position : fixed
    • held the pole steady
  3. keeping nearly upright in a seaway
    • a steady ship
  4. showing little variation or fluctuation : stable, uniform
    • a steady breeze
    • steady prices
  5. not easily disturbed or upset
    • steady nerves
  6. constant in feeling, principle, purpose, or attachment
    • steady friends
  7. dependable
  8. not given to dissipation : sober
  9. to make or keep steady
  10. to become steady
  11. in a steady manner : steadily
  12. on the course set used as a direction to the helmsman of a ship
  13. one that is steady
  14. a boyfriend or girlfriend with whom one goes steady

steady state -n

  1. a state or condition of a system or process (as one of the energy states of an atom) that does not change in time
  2. a condition that changes only negligibly over a specified time

steady state theory -n

  1. a theory in astronomy: the universe has always existed and has always been expanding with hydrogen being created continuously

steak ['stāk] -n

  1. a slice of meat cut from a fleshy part of a beef carcass
  2. a similar slice of a specified meat other than beef
    • ham steak
  3. a cross-section slice of a large fish
    • swordfish steak
  4. ground beef prepared for cooking or for serving in the manner of a steak
    • hamburger steak

steak house -n

  1. a restaurant whose specialty is beefsteak

steak knife -n

  1. a table knife with a sharp often serrated blade

steak tar·tare [-tär-'tär] -n

  1. highly seasoned ground beef eaten raw

steal ['stēl] -vb, adj, n

  1. to take the property of another wrongfully and esp. as a habitual or regular practice
  2. to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly
  3. to steal or attempt to steal a base
  4. to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully
    • stole a car
  5. to take away by force or unjust means
    • they've stolen our liberty
  6. to take surreptitiously or without permission
    • steal a kiss
  7. to appropriate to oneself or beyond one's proper share : make oneself the focus of
    • steal the show
  8. to move, convey, or introduce secretly : smuggle
  9. to accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner
    • steal a visit
  10. to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring
    • a basketball player adept at steal ing the ball
    • stole the election
  11. to reach (a base) safely solely by running and usu. catching the opposing team off guard
  12. the act or an instance of stealing
  13. a fraudulent or questionable political deal
  14. bargain
    • it's a steal at that price

stealth ['stelth] -n

  1. theft
  2. something stolen
  3. the act or action of proceeding furtively, secretly, or imperceptibly
    • the state moves by stealth to gather information -- Nat Hentoff
  4. the state of being furtive or unobtrusive
  5. an aircraft-design characteristic consisting of oblique angular construction and avoidance of vertical surfaces that is intended to produce a very weak radar return
  6. intended not to attract attention : stealthy
    • a stealth campaign

stealthy ['stel-thē] -adj, adv, n

  1. slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character
  2. intended to escape observation : furtive
  3. designed to produce a very weak radar return
    • a stealthy airplane

steam ['stēm] -n

  1. a vapor arising from a heated substance
  2. the invisible vapor into which water is converted when heated to the boiling point
  3. the mist formed by the condensation on cooling of water vapor
  4. water vapor kept under pressure so as to supply energy for heating, cooking, or mechanical work
  5. the power so generated
  6. active force : power, momentum
    • got there under his own steam
    • sales began to pick up steam
  7. normal force
    • at full steam
  8. pent-up emotional tension
    • needed to let off a little steam
  9. steamer
  10. travel by or a trip in a steamer
  11. to give out as fumes : exhale
  12. to apply steam to
  13. to expose to the action of steam (as for softening or cooking)
  14. to rise or pass off as vapor
  15. to give off steam or vapor
  16. to move or travel by the agency of steam
  17. to move or proceed with energy or force
  18. to be angry : boil
    • steam ing over the insult

steam·boat ['stēm-,bōt] -n

  1. a boat driven by steam power
  2. a shallow-draft vessel used on inland waterways

steamboat Gothic -n

  1. an elaborately ornamented architectural style used in homes built in the middle 19th century in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys

steam boiler -n

  1. a boiler for producing steam

steam chest -n

  1. the chamber from which steam is distributed to a cylinder of a steam engine

steamed ['stēmd] -adj

  1. cooked by steam
  2. angry often used with up

steam engine -n

  1. an engine driven or worked by steam
  2. a reciprocating engine having a piston driven in a closed cylinder by steam

steam·er ['stē-mər] -n

  1. a vessel in which articles are subjected to steam
  2. a ship propelled by steam
  3. an engine, machine, or vehicle operated or propelled by steam
  4. one that steams
  5. soft-shell clam

steamer rug -n

  1. a warm covering for the lap and feet esp. of a person sitting on a ship's deck

steamer trunk -n

  1. a trunk suitable for use in a stateroom of a steamer
  2. a shallow trunk that may be stowed beneath a berth

steam·fit·ter ['stēm-,fi-tər] -n

  1. one that installs or repairs equipment (as steam pipes) for heating, ventilating, or refrigerating systems

steam iron -n

  1. a pressing iron with a compartment holding water that is converted to steam by the iron's heat and emitted through the soleplate onto the fabric being pressed

steam·roll·er ['stēm-,rō-lər] -n

  1. a steam-driven road roller
  2. road roller
  3. a crushing force esp. when ruthlessly applied to overcome opposition

steamroller [-,rōl] -vt

  1. to overwhelm usu. by greatly superior force
    • steamroller the opposition
  2. to bring or advance by overwhelming force or pressure
    • steamroller ed the bill through the legislature
  3. to move or proceed with irresistible force

steam·ship ['stēm-,ship] -n

  1. steamer

steamship round -n

  1. a large beef roast consisting of the whole round with rump and heel

steam shovel -n

  1. a power shovel operated by steam
  2. power shovel

steam table -n

  1. a table having openings to hold containers of cooked food over steam or hot water circulating beneath them

steam turbine -n

  1. a turbine that is driven by the pressure of steam discharged at high velocity against the turbine vanes

steam up -vt

  1. to make angry or excited : arouse

steamy ['stē-mē] -adj, adv, n

  1. consisting of, characterized by, or full of steam
  2. : intensely or uncomfortably hot: as
  3. hot and humid
    • a steamy afternoon
  4. sensually hot : erotic
    • a steamy love scene

stea·rate ['stē-ə-,rāt, 'stir-,āt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of stearic acid

stea·ric acid [stē-'a-rik-, 'stir-ik-] -n

  1. a white crystalline fatty acid C 18H 36O 2obtained by saponifying tallow or other hard fats containing stearin
  2. a commercial mixture of stearic and palmitic acids

stea·rin ['stē-ə-rən, 'stir-ən] -n

  1. an ester of glycerol and stearic acid

ste·a·tite ['stē-ə-,tīt] -n, adj

  1. a massive talc having a grayish-green or brown color : soapstone
  2. an electrically insulating porcelain composed largely of steatite

steato- -comb form

  1. fat
    • steato rrhea

ste·a·to·py·gia [,stē-a-tə-'pi-j(ē-)ə, -'pī-] -n, adj

  1. an excessive development of fat on the buttocks that occurs chiefly among women of some African peoples and esp. the Khoisan

ste·at·or·rhea [(,)stē-,a-tə-'rē-ə] -n

  1. an excess of fat in the stools

ste·at·or·rhoea [(,)stē-,a-tə-'rē-ə] -n

(variant of steatorrhea)

  1. an excess of fat in the stools

sted·fast ['sted-,fast also -fəst] -adj, adv, n

(variant of steadfast)

  1. firmly fixed in place : immovable
  2. not subject to change
    • the steadfast doctrine of original sin -- Ellen Glasgow
  3. firm in belief, determination, or adherence : loyal
    • her followers have remained steadfast

steed ['stēd] -n

  1. horse
  2. a spirited horse (as for war)

steek ['stēk] -vb

  1. shut, close

steel ['stēl] -n

  1. commercial iron that contains carbon in any amount up to about 1.7 percent as an essential alloying constituent, is malleable when under suitable conditions, and is distinguished from cast iron by its malleability and lower carbon content
  2. : an instrument or implement of or characteristically of steel: as
  3. a thrusting or cutting weapon
  4. an instrument (as a fluted round rod with a handle) for sharpening knives
  5. a piece of steel for striking sparks from flint
  6. a quality (as hardness of mind or spirit) that suggests steel
    • nerves of steel
  7. the steel manufacturing industry
  8. shares of stock in steel companies
  9. to overlay, point, or edge with steel
  10. to cause to resemble steel (as in looks or hardness)
  11. to fill with resolution or determination
    • steel ed herself to face the crisis
  12. made of steel
  13. of or relating to the production of steel
  14. resembling steel

steel band -n

  1. a band of steel drums

steel blue -n

  1. a grayish blue
  2. any of the blue colors assumed by steel at various temperatures in tempering

steel drum -n

  1. a musical instrument orig. developed in Trinidad that is played by hammering raised and tuned portions of the bottom of an oil drum

steel engraving -n

  1. the art or process of engraving on steel
  2. an impression taken from an engraved steel plate

steel guitar -n

  1. hawaiian guitar
  2. pedal steel

steel·head ['stēl-,hed] -n

  1. an anadromous rainbow trout called also steelhead trout

steel·ie ['stē-lē] -n

  1. a playing marble made of steel

steel·mak·er ['stēl-,mā-kər] -n

  1. a manufacturer of steel

steeltrap ['stēl-'trap] -adj

  1. quick, incisive
    • a steeltrap mind

steel wool -n

  1. an abrasive material composed of long fine steel shavings and used esp. for scouring and burnishing

steel·work ['stēl-,wərk] -n

  1. work in steel
  2. an establishment where steel is made

steel·work·er [-,wər-kər] -n

  1. a person who works in steel and esp. in the manufacturing of it

steely ['stē-lē] -adj, n

  1. resembling or suggesting steel (as in hardness, color, strength, or coldness)
    • steely determination
    • steely blue
  2. made of steel

steel·yard ['stēl-,yärd, 'stil-yərd] -n

  1. a balance in which an object to be weighed is suspended from the shorter arm of a lever and the weight determined by moving a counterpoise along a graduated scale on the longer arm until equilibrium is attained

steen·bok ['stēn-,bäk, 'stān-] -n

  1. a small slender antelope ( Raphicerus campestris) with long legs that inhabits chiefly grasslands of eastern and southern Africa

steep ['stēp] -adj, adv, n

  1. lofty, high used chiefly of a sea
  2. making a large angle with the plane of the horizon
  3. mounting or falling precipitously
    • the stairs were very steep
  4. being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase
  5. extremely or excessively high
    • steep prices
  6. a precipitous place
  7. to soak in a liquid at a temperature under the boiling point (as for softening, bleaching, or extracting an essence)
  8. to cover with or plunge into a liquid (as in bathing, rinsing, or soaking)
  9. to saturate with or subject thoroughly to (some strong or pervading influence)
    • practices steep ed in tradition
  10. to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid
  11. the state or process of being steeped
  12. a bath or solution in which something is steeped

steep·en ['stē-pən, -pᵊm] -vb

  1. to become steeper
  2. to make steeper

stee·ple ['stē-pəl] -n, adj

  1. a tall structure usu. having a small spire at the top and surmounting a church tower
  2. a whole church tower

stee·ple·bush ['stē-pəl-,bu̇sh] -n

  1. hardhack

stee·ple·chase [-,chās] -n

  1. a horse race across country
  2. a horse race over a closed course with obstacles (as hedges and walls)
  3. a footrace of usu. 3000 meters over hurdles and a water jump

stee·ple·jack [-,jak] -n

  1. a person whose work is building smokestacks, towers, or steeples or climbing up the outside of such structures to paint and make repairs

steer ['stir] -n

  1. a male bovine animal and esp. a domestic ox ( Bos taurus) castrated before sexual maturity
  2. an ox less than four years old
  3. to control the course of : direct
  4. to guide by mechanical means (as a rudder)
  5. to set and hold to (a course)
  6. to direct the course (as of a ship or automobile)
  7. to pursue a course of action
  8. to be subject to steering
    • the car steer s well
  9. a hint as to procedure : tip

steer ['stər] -vb, n

(variant of stir)

  1. to cause an esp. slight movement or change of position of
  2. to disturb the quiet of : agitate often used with up
    • the bear stirred up the bees
  3. to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of esp. by a continued circular movement
    • stir the pudding
    • stir the fire
    often used with up
    • stirred up mud from the lake bottom
  4. to mix by or as if by stirring often used with in
    • stir in the spices
  5. bestir, exert
  6. to bring into notice or debate : raise often used with up
    • stir up sensitive issues
  7. to rouse to activity : evoke strong feelings in
    • music that stir s the emotions
  8. to call forth (as a memory) : evoke
  9. provoke
    • stir a storm of controversy
  10. to make a slight movement
    • the leaves were barely stirring
  11. to begin to move (as in rousing)
  12. to shift to another location : budge
    • haven't stirred since I arrived
  13. to begin to be active
    • the factory stirred to life
  14. to be active or busy
    • not a creature was stirring -- Clement Moore
  15. to pass an implement through a substance with a circular movement
  16. to be able to be stirred
  17. a state of disturbance, agitation, or brisk activity
  18. widespread notice and discussion : impression
    • the book caused quite a stir
  19. a slight movement
  20. a stirring movement
  21. prison

steer·age ['stir-ij] -n

  1. the act or practice of steering
  2. direction
  3. a section of inferior accommodations in a passenger ship for passengers paying the lowest fares

steer·age·way [-,wā] -n

  1. a rate of motion sufficient to make a ship or boat respond to movements of the rudder

steering column -n

  1. the column that encloses the connections to the steering gear of a vehicle (as an automobile)

steering committee -n

  1. a managing or directing committee
  2. a committee that determines the order in which business will be taken up in a U.S. legislative body

steering gear -n

  1. a mechanism (as a gear train) by which something is steered

steering wheel -n

  1. a handwheel by means of which one steers

steers·man ['stirz-mən] -n

  1. one who steers : helmsman

steeve ['stēv] -vt

  1. to stow esp. in a ship's hold
  2. to incline upward at an angle with the horizon or the line of the keel
  3. to set (a bowsprit) at an upward inclination

steg·a·nog·ra·phy [,ste-gə-'nä-grə-fē] -n, adj

  1. cryptography
  2. the art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file

stego·saur ['ste-gə-,sȯr] -n

  1. any of a suborder (Stegosauria) of quadrupedal ornithischian herbivorous dinosaurs chiefly of the Jurassic with strongly developed dorsal plates and spikes

stego·sau·rus [,ste-gə-'sȯr-əs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Stegosaurus) of stegosaurs known from the Upper Jurassic rocks esp. of Colorado and Wyoming

stein ['stīn] -n

  1. a large mug (as of earthenware) used esp. for beer
  2. the quantity of beer that a stein holds

ste·la ['stē-lə] -n

  1. a usu. carved or inscribed stone slab or pillar used for commemorative purposes

ste·lar ['stē-lər, -,lär] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or constituting a stele

stele ['stēl, 'stē-lē] -n

  1. the usu. cylindrical central vascular portion of the axis of a vascular plant

stel·la ['ste-lə] -n

  1. an experimental international coin based on the metric system that was issued by the U.S. in 1879 and 1880 and was worth about four dollars

stel·lar ['ste-lər] -adj

  1. of or relating to the stars : astral
  2. composed of stars
  3. of or relating to a theatrical or film star
    • stellar names
  4. principal, leading
    • a stellar role
  5. outstanding
    • a stellar performance

stellar wind -n

  1. plasma continuously ejected from a star's surface into surrounding space

stel·late ['ste-,lāt] -adj

  1. resembling a star (as in shape)

Stel·ler's jay ['ste-lərz, 'shte-] -n

  1. a jay ( Cyanocitta stelleri) of western No. America with a high crest and black and dark blue plumage

Steller's sea cow -n

  1. an extinct very large sirenian ( Hydrodamalis gigas) formerly common near the Asian coast of the Bering Sea

stem ['stem] -n

  1. the main trunk of a plant
  2. a primary plant axis that develops buds and shoots instead of roots
  3. a plant part (as a branch, petiole, or stipe) that supports another (as a leaf or fruit)
  4. the complete fruiting stalk of a banana plant with its bananas
  5. the main upright member at the bow of a ship
  6. the bow or prow of a ship
  7. a line of ancestry : stock
  8. a fundamental line from which others have arisen
  9. the part of an inflected word that remains after the inflected part is removed
    • strength is the stem of strengths
  10. root
  11. : something held to resemble a plant stem: as
  12. a main or heavy stroke of a letter
  13. the short perpendicular line extending from the head of a musical note
  14. the part of a tobacco pipe from the bowl outward
  15. the cylindrical support of a piece of stemware (as a goblet)
  16. a shaft of a watch used for winding
  17. to make headway against (as an adverse tide, current, or wind)
  18. to check or go counter to (something adverse)
  19. to remove the stem from
  20. to make stems for (as artificial flowers)
  21. to occur or develop as a consequence : have or trace an origin
    • her success stem s from hard work
  22. to stop or dam up (as a river)
  23. to stop or check by or as if by damming
  24. stanch
    • stem a flow of blood
  25. to turn (a ski) in stemming
  26. to restrain or check oneself
  27. to become checked or stanched
  28. to slide the heel of one ski or of both skis outward usu. in making or preparing to make a turn
  29. check, dam
  30. an act or instance of stemming on skis

stem cell -n

  1. an unspecialized cell that gives rise to differentiated cells
    • hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow

stem christie -n

  1. a turn in skiing begun by stemming a ski and completed by bringing the skis parallel into a christie

stem·less ['stem-ləs] -adj

  1. having no stem : acaulescent

stem·ma ['ste-mə] -n, adj

  1. a simple eye present in some insects
  2. a scroll (as among the ancient Romans) containing a genealogical list
  3. a tree showing the relationships of the manuscripts of a literary work

stemmed -adj

  1. having a stem usu. used in combination
    • long- stemmed roses

stem·my ['ste-mē] -adj

  1. abounding in stems
  2. having a bitter aftertaste

stem rust -n

  1. a rust attacking the stem of a plant
  2. a destructive disease esp. of wheat caused by a rust fungus ( Puccinia graminis) which produces reddish-brown lesions in the uredospore stage and black lesions in the teliospore stage and has any of several plants of the barberry family as an intermediate host
  3. the fungus causing stem rust

stem turn -n

  1. a skiing turn executed by stemming an outside ski

stem·ware ['stem-,wer] -n

  1. glass hollowware mounted on a stem

stemwind·er [-,wīn-dər] -n

  1. a stem-winding watch
  2. one that is first-rate of its kind
  3. a stirring speech

stemwind·ing [-diŋ] -adj

  1. wound by an inside mechanism turned by the knurled knob on the stem
    • a stemwinding watch

Sten ['sten] -n

  1. a light simple 9-millimeter British submachine gun

sten- -comb form

  1. close : narrow : little
    • steno thermal

stench ['stench] -n, adj

  1. stink
  2. a characteristic repugnant quality

sten·cil ['sten(t)-səl] -n

  1. an impervious material (as a sheet of paper, thin wax, or woven fabric) perforated with lettering or a design through which a substance (as ink, paint, or metallic powder) is forced onto a surface to be printed
  2. something (as a pattern, design, or print) that is produced by means of a stencil
  3. a printing process that uses a stencil

stencil [-s(ə-)liŋ] -vt, n

  1. to mark or paint with a stencil
  2. to produce by stencil

steno ['ste-(,)nō] -n

  1. stenographer
  2. stenography

ste·nog·ra·pher [stə-'nä-grə-fər] -n

  1. a writer of shorthand
  2. a person employed chiefly to take and transcribe dictation

ste·nog·ra·phy [-fē] -n, adj, adv

  1. the art or process of writing in shorthand
  2. shorthand esp. written from dictation or oral discourse
  3. the making of shorthand notes and subsequent transcription of them

steno·ha·line [,ste-nō-'hā-,līn, -'ha-,līn] -adj

  1. unable to withstand wide variation in salinity of surrounding water

ste·nosed [stə-'nōzd, -'nōst] -adj

  1. affected with stenosis

ste·no·sis [stə-'nō-səs] -n, adj

  1. a narrowing or constriction of the diameter of a bodily passage or orifice

steno·ther·mal [,ste-nə-'thər-məl] -adj, n

  1. capable of surviving over only a narrow range of temperatures
    • stenothermal fish

steno·top·ic [,ste-nə-'tä-pik] -adj

  1. having a narrow range of adaptability to changes in environmental conditions

steno·type ['ste-nə-,tīp] -n, vt

  1. a small machine somewhat like a typewriter used to record speech by means of phonograms

stent ['stent] -n

  1. a short narrow metal or plastic tube often in the form of a mesh that is inserted into the lumen of an anatomical vessel (as an artery or a bile duct) esp. to keep a previously blocked passageway open

sten·tor ['sten-,tȯr, -tər] -n

  1. a person having a loud voice
  2. any of a widely distributed genus ( Stentor) of ciliate protozoans having a trumpet-shaped body with the mouth at the broad end and with the narrow end often attached to the substrate

sten·to·ri·an [sten-'tȯr-ē-ən] -adj

  1. extremely loud
    • stentorian tones

step ['step] -n, adj

  1. : a rest for the foot in ascending or descending: as
  2. one of a series of structures consisting of a riser and a tread
  3. a ladder rung
  4. an advance or movement made by raising the foot and bringing it down elsewhere
  5. a combination of foot or foot and body movements constituting a unit or a repeated pattern
    • a dance step
  6. manner of walking : stride
  7. footprint
  8. the sound of a footstep
  9. the space passed over in one step
  10. a short distance
  11. the height of one stair
  12. course, way
    • directed his step s toward the river
  13. a degree, grade, or rank in a scale
  14. a stage in a process
    • was guided through every step of my career
  15. a frame on a ship designed to receive an upright shaft
  16. a block supporting the heel of a mast
  17. an action, proceeding, or measure often occurring as one in a series
    • taking step s to improve the situation
  18. a steplike offset or part usu. occurring in a series
  19. an interval in a musical scale
  20. step aerobics
  21. a slight lead in or as if in a race
    • has a step on the competition
  22. to move by raising the foot and bringing it down elsewhere or by moving each foot in succession
  23. dance
  24. to go on foot : walk
  25. advance, proceed
  26. to be on one's way : leave often used with along
  27. to move briskly
    • kept us stepping
  28. to press down with the foot
    • step on the brake
  29. to come as if at a single step
    • stepped into a good job
  30. to take by moving the feet in succession
    • step three paces
  31. to move (the foot) in any direction : set
    • the first man to step foot on the moon
  32. to traverse on foot
  33. to go through the steps of : perform
    • step a minuet
  34. to make erect by fixing the lower end in a step
    • step the mast
  35. to measure by steps
    • step off 50 yards
  36. to provide with steps
  37. to make steps in
    • step a key
  38. to construct or arrange in or as if in steps
    • craggy peaks with terraces stepped up the sides -- Time

step- -comb form

  1. related by virtue of a remarriage (as of a parent) and not by blood
    • step parent
    • step sister

step aerobics -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. aerobics that involves repeatedly stepping on and off a raised platform called also step training

step aside -vi

  1. step down

step·broth·er ['step-,brə-thər] -n

  1. a son of one's stepparent by a former partner

stepbystep [,step-bī-'step] -adj or adv

  1. marked by successive degrees usu. of limited extent : gradual

step·child ['step-,chī(-ə)ld] -n

  1. one that fails to receive proper care or attention
    • is no longer a stepchild in the family of nations -- F. R. Smith
  2. a child of one's wife or husband by a former partner

step dance -n

  1. a dance in which steps are emphasized rather than gesture or posture

step·daugh·ter ['step-,dȯ-tər] -n

  1. a daughter of one's wife or husband by a former partner

stepdown ['step-,dau̇n] -n

  1. a decrease or reduction in size or amount
    • a stepdown in dosage

step down ['step-,dau̇n] -vi, adj

  1. retire, resign
  2. to lower (a voltage) by means of a transformer
  3. to decrease or reduce esp. by one or more steps

step·fam·i·ly ['step-,fam-lē, -,fa-mə-] -n

  1. a family in which there is a stepparent

step·fa·ther ['step-,fä-thər] -n

  1. the husband of one's mother when distinct from one's natural or legal father

step function -n

  1. a mathematical function of a single real variable that remains constant within each of a series of adjacent intervals but changes in value from one interval to the next

steph·a·no·tis [,ste-fə-'nō-təs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Stephanotis,esp. S. floribunda) of Old World tropical woody vines of the milkweed family with fragrant white waxy flowers having a tubular corolla terminating in five lobes

stepin ['step-,in] -n, adj

  1. : an article of clothing put on by being stepped into: as
  2. a shoe resembling but usu. having a higher vamp than a pump and having concealed elastic to adjust the fit
  3. short panties for women usu. used in pl.

step in -vi

  1. to intervene in an affair or dispute
  2. to act as a replacement
  3. to make a brief informal visit

step·lad·der ['step-,la-dər] -n

  1. a ladder that has broad flat steps and two pairs of legs connected by a hinge at the top and that opens at the bottom to become freestanding

step·moth·er [-,mə-thər] -n

  1. the wife of one's father when distinct from one's natural or legal mother

step out -vi

  1. to go away from a place usu. for a short distance and for a short time
  2. to go or march at a vigorous or increased pace
  3. die
  4. to lead an active social life
  5. to be unfaithful usu. used with on
    • had been stepping out on his wife

step·par·ent ['step-,per-ənt] -n

  1. a person who is a stepmother or stepfather

step·par·ent·ing [-ən-tiŋ] -n

  1. parenting by a stepparent

steppe ['step] -n

  1. one of the vast usu. level and treeless tracts in southeastern Europe or Asia
  2. arid land with xerophilous vegetation found usu. in regions of extreme temperature range and loess soil

steppedup ['stept-'əp] -adj

  1. increased in intensity

step·per ['ste-pər] -n

  1. one (as a fast horse or a dancer) that steps

stepper motor -n

  1. a motor whose driveshaft rotates in small steps rather than continuously called also stepping motor

step·pingstone ['ste-piŋ-,stōn] -n

  1. a stone on which to step (as in crossing a stream)
  2. a means of progress or advancement

step·sis·ter ['step-,sis-tər] -n

  1. a daughter of one's stepparent by a former partner

step·son [-,sən] -n

  1. a son of one's husband or wife by a former partner

step stool -n

  1. a stool with one or two steps that often fold away beneath the seat

step turn -n

  1. a skiing turn executed in a downhill traverse by lifting the upper ski from the ground, placing it in the desired direction, weighting it, and bringing the other ski parallel

stepup ['step-,əp] -n

  1. an increase or advance in size or amount

step up ['step-,əp] -vt, adj

  1. to increase (a voltage) by means of a transformer
  2. to increase, augment, or advance esp. by one or more steps
    • step up production
  3. to come forward
    • stepped up to claim responsibility
  4. to succeed in meeting a challenge (as by increased effort or improved performance)
  5. to undergo an increase
    • business is stepping up
  6. to receive a promotion

step·wise [-,wīz] -adj

  1. marked by or proceeding in steps
  2. moving by step to adjacent musical tones

ster -abbr

  1. sterling

ster·co·ra·ceous [,stər-kə-'rā-shəs] -adj

  1. relating to, being, or containing feces

stere- -comb form

  1. solid : solid body
    • stereo gram
  2. stereoscopic
    • stere opsis
  3. having or dealing with three dimensions of space
    • stereo chemistry

ste·reo ['ster-ē-,ō, 'stir-] -n

  1. stereotype
  2. stereophonic reproduction
  3. a stereophonic sound system

stereo -adj

  1. stereoscopic
  2. produced by or as if by means of a stereotype
  3. stereophonic

ste·reo·chem·is·try [,ster-ē-ō-'ke-mə-strē, ,stir-] -n, adj

  1. a branch of chemistry that deals with the spatial arrangement of atoms and groups in molecules
  2. the spatial arrangement of atoms and groups in a compound and its relation to the properties of the compound

ste·reo·gram ['ster-ē-ə-,gram, 'stir-] -n

  1. a diagram or picture representing objects with an impression of solidity or relief
  2. stereograph

ste·reo·graph [-,graf] -n, vt

  1. a pair of stereoscopic pictures or a picture composed of two superposed stereoscopic images that gives a three-dimensional effect when viewed with a stereoscope or special spectacles

ste·reo·graph·ic [,ster-ē-ə-'gra-fik] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or being a delineation of the form of a solid body (as the earth) on a plane
    • stereographic projection

ste·reo·iso·mer [,ster-ē-ō-'ī-sə-mər, ,stir-] -n, adj

  1. any of a group of isomers in which atoms are linked in the same order but differ in their spatial arrangement

ste·re·ol·o·gy [,ster-ē-'ä-lə-jē, ,stir-] -n, adj, adv

  1. a branch of science concerned with inferring the three-dimensional properties of objects or matter ordinarily observed two-dimensionally

ste·reo·mi·cro·scope [-'mī-krə-,skōp] -n, adj, adv

  1. a microscope having a set of optics for each eye to make an object appear in three dimensions

ste·reo·phon·ic [,ster-ē-ə-'fä-nik, ,stir-] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or constituting sound reproduction involving the use of separated microphones and two transmission channels to achieve the sound separation of a live hearing

ste·reo·pho·tog·ra·phy [,ster-ē-ō-fə-'tä-grə-fē, ,stir-] -n, adj

  1. stereoscopic photography

ste·re·op·sis [,ster-ē-'äp-səs, ,stir-] -n

  1. stereoscopic vision

ste·re·op·ti·con [-'äp-ti-kən] -n

  1. a projector for transparent slides often made double so as to produce dissolving views
  2. stereoscope

ste·reo·reg·u·lar [,ster-ē-ō-'re-gyə-lər, ,stir-] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or involving stereochemical regularity in the repeating units of a polymeric structure

ste·reo·scope ['ster-ē-ə-,skōp, 'stir-] -n

  1. an optical instrument with two eyepieces for helping the observer to combine the images of two pictures taken from points of view a little way apart and thus to get the effect of solidity or depth

ste·reo·scop·ic [,ster-ē-ə-'skä-pik, ,stir-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to stereoscopy or the stereoscope
  2. characterized by stereoscopy
    • stereoscopic vision

ste·re·os·co·py [,ster-ē-'äs-kə-pē, ,stir-; 'ster-ē-ə-,skō-pē, 'stir-] -n

  1. a science that deals with stereoscopic effects and methods
  2. the seeing of objects in three dimensions

ste·reo·spe·cif·ic [,ster-ē-ō-spi-'si-fik, ,stir-] -adj, adv, n

  1. being, produced by, or involved in a stereochemically specific process
    • many enzymes act as stereospecific catalysts
    • stereospecific plastics

ste·reo·tac·tic [,ster-ē-ə-'tak-tik, ,stir-] -adj, adv

  1. involving, being, utilizing, or used in a surgical technique for precisely directing the tip of a delicate instrument (as a needle) or beam of radiation in three planes using coordinates provided by medical imaging in order to reach a specific locus in the body

ste·reo·tax·ic [,ster-ē-ə-'tak-sik, ,stir-] -adj, adv

  1. stereotactic

ste·reo·type ['ster-ē-ə-,tīp, 'stir-] -vt, n

  1. to make a stereotype from
  2. to repeat without variation : make hackneyed
  3. to develop a mental stereotype about

stereotype [,ster-ē-ə-'ti-pi-kəl] -n, adj, adv

  1. a plate cast from a printing surface
  2. something conforming to a fixed or general pattern
  3. a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment

ste·reo·typed -adj

  1. lacking originality or individuality

ste·reo·ty·py ['ster-ē-ə-,tī-pē, 'stir-] -n

  1. frequent almost mechanical repetition of the same posture, movement, or form of speech (as in schizophrenia)

ste·ric ['ster-ik, 'stir-] -adj, adv

  1. relating to or involving the arrangement of atoms in space : spatial

ste·rig·ma [stə-'rig-mə] -n

  1. one of the slender stalks at the top of the basidium of some fungi from the tips of which the basidiospores are formed
  2. a stalk or filament that bears conidia or spermatia

ster·il·ant ['ster-ə-lənt] -n

  1. a sterilizing agent

ster·ile ['ster-əl, chiefly Brit -,ī(-ə)l] -adj, adv, n

  1. failing to bear or incapable of producing fruit or spores
  2. failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring
    • a sterile hybrid
  3. incapable of germinating
    • sterile spores
  4. neither perfect nor pistillate
  5. unproductive of vegetation
    • a sterile arid region
  6. free from living organisms and esp. microorganisms
    • a sterile syringe
  7. lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality : lifeless
    • a sterile work of art

ster·il·ize ['ster-ə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. : to make sterile: as
  2. to cause (land) to become unfruitful
  3. to deprive of the power of reproducing
    • surgically sterilize cats and dogs
  4. to make incapable of germination
  5. to make powerless or useless usu. by restraining from a normal function, relation, or participation
  6. to free from living microorganisms

ster·ling ['stər-liŋ] -n

  1. British money
  2. sterling silver or articles of it

sterling -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or calculated in terms of British sterling
  2. payable in sterling
  3. having a fixed standard of purity usu. defined legally as represented by an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper
  4. made of sterling silver
  5. conforming to the highest standard
    • sterling character
    • a sterling record of achievement

sterling area -n

  1. a former group of countries with currencies tied to the British pound sterling

stern ['stərn] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a definite hardness or severity of nature or manner : austere
  2. expressive of severe displeasure : harsh
  3. forbidding or gloomy in appearance
  4. inexorable
    • stern necessity
  5. sturdy, stout
    • a stern resolve
  6. the rear end of a boat
  7. a hinder or rear part : the last or latter part

ster·nal ['stər-nᵊl] -adj

  1. of or relating to the sternum

stern chase -n

  1. a chase in which a pursuing ship follows in the path of another

stern chaser -n

  1. a gun so placed as to be able to fire astern at a pursuing ship

stern·fore·most ['stərn-'fȯr-,mōst] -adv

  1. with the stern in advance : backward

ster·nite ['stər-,nīt] -n

  1. the ventral part or shield of a somite of an arthropod
  2. the chitinous plate that forms the ventral surface of an abdominal or occas. a thoracic segment of an insect

stern·most ['stərn-,mōst] -adj

  1. farthest astern

ster·no·cos·tal [,stər-nō-'käs-tᵊl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or situated between the sternum and ribs

stern·post ['stərn-,pōst] -n

  1. the principal member at the stern of a ship extending from keel to deck

stern sheets -n pl

  1. the space in the stern of an open boat not occupied by the thwarts

ster·num ['stər-nəm] -n

  1. a compound ventral bone or cartilage of most vertebrates other than fishes that connects the ribs or the shoulder girdle or both and in humans consists of the manubrium, gladiolus, and xiphoid process called also breastbone

ster·nu·ta·tion [,stər-nyə-'tā-shən] -n

  1. the act, fact, or noise of sneezing

ster·nu·ta·tor ['stər-nyə-,tā-tər] -n

  1. an agent that induces sneezing and often lacrimation and vomiting

stern·ward ['stərn-wərd] -adv

  1. aft

stern·way ['stərn-,wā] -n

  1. movement of a ship backward or with stern foremost

sternwheel·er [-'hwē-lər, -'wē-] -n

  1. a steamboat driven by a single paddle wheel at the stern

ste·roid ['stir-,ȯid also 'ster-] -n, adj

  1. any of various compounds containing a 17-carbon 4-ring system and including the sterols and numerous hormones (as anabolic steroids or corticosteroids) and glycosides

ste·roido·gen·e·sis [stə-,rȯi-də-'je-nə-səs; ,stir-,ȯid- also ,ster-] -n, adj

  1. synthesis of steroids

ste·rol ['stir-,ȯl, 'ster-, -,ōl] -n

  1. any of various solid steroid alcohols (as cholesterol) widely distributed in animal and plant lipids

ster·tor ['stər-tər, -,tȯr] -n

  1. the act or fact of producing a snoring sound : snoring

ster·to·rous ['stər-tə-rəs] -adj, adv

  1. characterized by a harsh snoring or gasping sound

stet ['stet] -vt

  1. to direct retention of (a word or passage previously ordered to be deleted or omitted from a manuscript or printer's proof) by annotating usu. with the word stet

stetho·scope ['ste-thə-,skōp also -thə-] -n, adj

  1. a medical instrument for detecting sounds produced in the body that are conveyed to the ears of the listener through rubber tubing connected with a piece placed upon the area to be examined

Stet·son ['stet-sən] -trademark

  1. used for a broad-brimmed high-crowned felt hat

ste·ve·dore ['stē-və-,dȯr also 'stēv-,] -n

  1. one who works at or is responsible for loading and unloading ships in port

stevedore -vb

  1. to handle (cargo) as a stevedore
  2. to load or unload the cargo of (a ship) in port
  3. to work as a stevedore

stevedore knot -n

  1. a stopper knot similar to a figure eight knot but with one or more extra turns called also stevedore's knot

Ste·ven·graph ['stē-vən-,graf] -n

  1. a woven silk picture

stew ['stü, 'styü] -n

  1. a utensil used for boiling
  2. a hot bath
  3. whorehouse
  4. a district of bordellos usu. used in pl.
  5. fish or meat usu. with vegetables prepared by stewing
  6. a heterogeneous mixture
  7. a state of heat and congestion
  8. a state of excitement, worry, or confusion
  9. to boil slowly or with simmering heat
  10. to become cooked by stewing
  11. to swelter esp. from confinement in a hot or stuffy atmosphere
  12. to be in a state of suppressed agitation, worry, or resentment
  13. flight attendant

stew·ard ['stü-ərd, 'styü-; 'st(y)u̇rd] -n

  1. one employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts)
  2. shop steward
  3. a fiscal agent
  4. an employee on a ship, airplane, bus, or train who manages the provisioning of food and attends passengers
  5. one appointed to supervise the provision and distribution of food and drink in an institution
  6. one who actively directs affairs : manager

steward -vt

  1. to act as a steward for : manage
  2. to perform the duties of a steward

stew·ard·ess ['stü-ər-dəs, 'styü-; 'st(y)u̇r-dəs] -n

  1. a woman who performs the duties of a steward
  2. one who attends passengers (as on an airplane)

stew·ard·ship ['stü-ərd-,ship, 'styü-; 'st(y)u̇rd-] -n

  1. the office, duties, and obligations of a steward
  2. the conducting, supervising, or managing of something
  3. the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
    • stewardship of our natural resources

stewed ['stüd] -adj

  1. drunk

stew·pan ['stü-,pan, 'styü-] -n

  1. a pan used for stewing

stg -abbr

  1. sterling

stib·nite ['stib-,nīt] -n

  1. a mineral that consists of the trisulfide of antimony and occurs in orthorhombic lead-gray crystals of metallic luster or in massive form

sticho·myth·ia [,sti-kə-'mi-thē-ə] -n, adj

  1. dialogue esp. of altercation or dispute delivered by two actors in alternating lines (as in classical Greek drama)

stick ['stik] -n, adj

  1. : a woody piece or part of a tree or shrub: as
  2. a usu. dry or dead severed shoot, twig, or slender branch
  3. a cut or broken branch or piece of wood gathered for fuel or construction material
  4. : a long slender piece of wood or metal: as
  5. a club or staff used as a weapon
  6. walking stick
  7. an implement used for striking or propelling an object in a game
  8. something used to force compliance
  9. a baton symbolizing an office or dignity
  10. a person entitled to bear such a baton
  11. a piece of the materials composing something (as a building)
  12. : any of various implements resembling a stick in shape, origin, or use: as
  13. composing stick
  14. an airplane lever operating the elevators and ailerons
  15. the gearshift lever of an automobile
  16. something prepared (as by cutting, molding, or rolling) in a relatively long and slender often cylindrical form
    • a stick of candy
    • a stick of butter
  17. person, chap
  18. a dull, inert, stiff, or spiritless person
  19. remote usu. rural districts regarded esp. as backward, dull, or unsophisticated : boondocks
  20. an herbaceous stalk resembling a woody stick
    • celery stick s
  21. mast
  22. yard
  23. a piece of furniture
  24. a number of bombs arranged for release from a bombing plane in a series across a target
  25. a number of parachutists dropping together
  26. a marijuana cigarette
  27. punishment or the threat of punishment used to force compliance or cooperation
    • choosing between the carrot and the stick
  28. criticism, abuse
  29. to hit or propel (as a hockey puck) with a stick
  30. to pierce with something pointed : stab
  31. to kill by piercing
  32. to push or thrust so as or as if to pierce
  33. to fasten by thrusting in
  34. impale
  35. push, thrust
  36. to put or set in a specified place or position
  37. to furnish with things fastened on by or as if by piercing
  38. to attach by or as if by causing to adhere to a surface
  39. to compel to pay esp. by trickery
    • got stuck with the bar bill
  40. overcharge
  41. to halt the movement or action of
  42. baffle, stump
  43. cheat, defraud
  44. to saddle with something disadvantageous or disagreeable
    • is still stuck with that lousy car
  45. to execute (a landing) flawlessly in gymnastics
  46. : to hold to something firmly by or as if by adhesion:
  47. to become fixed in place by means of a pointed end
  48. to become fast by or as if by miring or by gluing or plastering
    • stuck in the mud
  49. to remain in a place, situation, or environment
  50. to hold fast or adhere resolutely : cling
    • she stuck to her story
  51. to remain effective
  52. to keep close in a chase or competition
  53. to become blocked, wedged, or jammed
  54. balk, scruple
  55. to find oneself baffled
  56. to be unable to proceed
  57. project, protrude
  58. a thrust with a pointed instrument : stab
  59. delay, stop
  60. impediment
  61. adhesive quality or substance

stick around -vi

  1. to stay or wait about : linger

stick·ball ['stik-,bȯl] -n

  1. baseball adapted for play in streets or small areas and using a broomstick and a lightweight ball

stick·er ['sti-kər] -n

  1. one that pierces with a point
  2. one that adheres or causes adhesion
  3. a slip of paper with adhesive back that can be fastened to a surface

sticker price -n

  1. a manufacturer's suggested retail price that is printed on a sticker and affixed to a new automobile
  2. the stated cost of something
    • a computer with a high sticker price

sticker shock -n

  1. astonishment and dismay experienced on being informed of a product's unexpectedly high price

stick figure -n

  1. a drawing showing the head of a human being or animal as a circle and all other parts as straight lines
  2. a fictional character lacking depth and believability

stick·han·dle ['stik-,han-dᵊl] -vi, n

  1. to maneuver a puck (as in hockey) or a ball (as in lacrosse) with a stick

sticking plaster -n

  1. an adhesive plaster esp. for closing superficial wounds

sticking point -n

  1. an item (as in negotiations) resulting or likely to result in an impasse

stick insect -n

  1. any of various usu. wingless phasmid insects (esp. family Phasmatidae) with a long cylindrical body resembling a stick
  2. phasmid

stickinthemud ['stik-ən-thə-,məd] -n

  1. one who is slow, old-fashioned, or unprogressive
  2. an old fogy

stick·it ['sti-kət] -adj

  1. unfinished
  2. having failed esp. in an intended profession

stick·le ['sti-kəl] -vi

  1. to contend esp. stubbornly and usu. on insufficient grounds
  2. to feel scruples : scruple

stick·le·back ['sti-kəl-,bak] -n

  1. any of a family (Gasterosteidae) of small scaleless bony fishes having two or more free spines in front of the dorsal fin and including marine, anadromous, and freshwater forms

stick·ler ['sti-k(ə-)lər] -n

  1. one who insists on exactness or completeness in the observance of something
    • a stickler for the rules
  2. something that baffles or puzzles : poser, sticker

stick·man ['stik-,man, -mən] -n

  1. : one who handles a stick: as
  2. one who supervises the play at a dice table, calls the decisions, and retrieves the dice
  3. a player in any of various games (as hockey or lacrosse) played with a stick

stick out -vi

  1. to jut out : project
  2. to be prominent or conspicuous
  3. to be persistent (as in a demand or an opinion)
  4. endure, last often used with it
    • stuck it out to the end

stick·pin ['stik-,pin] -n

  1. an ornamental pin
  2. one worn in a necktie

stick·seed [-,sēd] -n

  1. any of various weedy herbs (genera Lappulaand Hackelia) of the borage family with bristly adhesive fruit

stick shift -n

  1. a manually operated gearshift for a motor vehicle usu. mounted on the floor

stick·tight ['stik-,tīt] -n

  1. bur marigold

sticktoit·ive·ness [stik-'tü-ə-tiv-nəs] -n

  1. dogged perseverance : tenacity

stick·um ['sti-kəm] -n

  1. a substance that adheres or causes adhesion

stick·up ['stik-,əp] -n

  1. a robbery at gunpoint : holdup

stick up -vi

  1. to stand upright or on end : protrude
  2. to rob at gunpoint

stick·weed ['stik-,wēd] -n

  1. any of several plants (as a beggar's-lice) with adhesive seeds

stick·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. the use of one's stick in offensive and defensive techniques (as in hockey)

sticky ['sti-kē] -adj, adv, n

  1. adhesive
  2. viscous, gluey
  3. coated with a sticky substance
  4. humid, muggy
  5. clammy
  6. tending to stick
  7. disagreeable, unpleasant
    • came to a sticky end
  8. awkward, stiff
  9. difficult, problematic
    • a sticky situation
  10. excessively sentimental : cloying

sticky bun -n

  1. a spiral-shaped cinnamon roll topped with melted brown sugar and butter

sticky note -n

  1. a slip of notepaper having an adhesive strip on the back that allows attachment to and removal from a surface

sticky wicket -n

  1. a difficult or delicate problem or situation

stic·tion ['stik-shən] -n

  1. the force required to cause one body in contact with another to begin to move

stiff ['stif] -adj, adv, n

  1. not easily bent : rigid
    • a stiff collar
  2. lacking in suppleness or flexibility
    • stiff muscles
  3. impeded in movement used of a mechanism
    • a truck's stiff suspension
  4. drunk
  5. firm, resolute
  6. stubborn, unyielding
  7. proud
  8. marked by reserve or decorum
  9. lacking in ease or grace : stilted
  10. hard fought : pugnacious, sharp
    • drove a stiff bargain
    • stiff competition
  11. exerting great force
    • a stiff wind
  12. forceful, vigorous
  13. potent
    • a stiff dose
    • poured her a stiff drink
  14. of a dense or glutinous consistency : thick
  15. harsh, severe
    • a stiff penalty
  16. arduous, rugged
    • stiff terrain
  17. not easily heeled over by an external force (as the wind)
    • a stiff ship
  18. expensive, steep
    • paid a stiff price
  19. in a stiff manner : stiffly
  20. to an extreme degree : severely
    • scared stiff
    • bored stiff
  21. close enough to the hole for an easy putt in golf
    • hit it stiff and tapped it in for an easy birdie
  22. corpse
  23. tramp, bum
  24. a member of the working class
  25. a blue-collar worker
  26. person
    • a lucky stiff
  27. a stodgy or excessively decorous person
  28. flop, failure
  29. to refuse to pay or tip
    • stiff ed the waiter
  30. cheat
    • stiff ed him in a business deal
  31. stick
    • stiff ed us with the bar bill
  32. snub
    • stiff ed sportswriters after the game
  33. to fail commercially
    • the movie stiff ed at the box office

stiffarm ['stif-,ärm] -vi

  1. straight-arm
  2. straight-arm
  3. to treat with disdain or neglect : slight, snub
  4. straight-arm

stiff·en ['sti-fən] -vb, n

  1. to make stiff or stiffer
  2. to become stiff or stiffer

stiffnecked ['stif-'nekt] -adj

  1. haughty, stubborn
  2. formal, stilted

stiff upper lip -n, adj

  1. a steady and determined attitude or manner in the face of trouble

sti·fle ['stī-fəl] -n

  1. the joint next above the hock in the hind leg of a quadruped (as a horse or dog) corresponding to the human knee

stifle [-f(ə-)liŋ] -vb, n, adv

  1. to kill by depriving of oxygen : suffocate
  2. smother
  3. muffle
  4. to cut off (as the voice or breath)
  5. to withhold from circulation or expression : repress
    • stifled our anger
  6. deter, discourage
  7. to become suffocated by or as if by lack of oxygen : smother
    • stifling in the heat

stig·ma ['stig-mə] -n, adj

  1. a scar left by a hot iron : brand
  2. a mark of shame or discredit : stain
    • bore the stigma of cowardice
  3. an identifying mark or characteristic
  4. a specific diagnostic sign of a disease
  5. bodily marks or pains resembling the wounds of the crucified Jesus and sometimes accompanying religious ecstasy
  6. petechia
  7. a small spot, scar, or opening on a plant or animal
  8. the usu. apical part of the pistil of a flower which receives the pollen grains and on which they germinate

stig·mas·ter·ol [stig-'mas-tə-,rȯl, -,rōl] -n

  1. a crystalline sterol C 29H 48O obtained esp. from soybean oil

stig·mat·ic [stig-'ma-tik] -n

  1. one marked with stigmata

stigmatic [-ti-k(ə-)lē] -adj, adv

  1. having or conveying a social stigma
  2. of or relating to a stigma
  3. of or relating to supernatural stigmata
  4. anastigmatic used esp. of a bundle of light rays intersecting at a single point

stig·ma·tist ['stig-mə-tist, stig-'mä-] -n

  1. stigmatic

stig·ma·tize ['stig-mə-,tīz] -vt, n

  1. brand
  2. to describe or identify in opprobrious terms
  3. to mark with stigmata

stil·bene ['stil-,bēn] -n

  1. an aromatic hydrocarbon C 14H 12used as a phosphor and in making dyes
  2. a compound derived from stilbene

stil·bes·trol [stil-'bes-,trȯl, -,trōl] -n

  1. diethylstilbestrol

stil·bite ['stil-,bīt] -n

  1. a mineral consisting of a hydrous silicate of aluminum, calcium, and sodium and often occurring in sheaflike aggregations of crystals

stile ['stī(-ə)l] -n

  1. a step or set of steps for passing over a fence or wall
  2. turnstile
  3. one of the vertical members in a frame or panel into which the secondary members are fitted

sti·let·to [stə-'le-(,)tō] -n

  1. a slender dagger with a blade thick in proportion to its breadth
  2. a pointed instrument for piercing holes for eyelets or embroidery
  3. stiletto heel
  4. a shoe with a stiletto heel

stiletto heel -n

  1. a high thin heel on women's shoes that is narrower than a spike heel

still ['stil] -adj, n

  1. devoid of or abstaining from motion
  2. sedentary
  3. not effervescent
    • still wine
  4. of, relating to, or being a static photograph as contrasted with a motion picture
  5. designed for taking still photographs
    • a still camera
  6. engaged in taking still photographs
    • a still photographer
  7. uttering no sound : quiet
  8. subdued, muted
  9. calm, tranquil
  10. free from noise or turbulence
  11. to become motionless or silent : quiet
  12. allay, calm
    • still ed their nerves
  13. to put an end to : settle
  14. to arrest the motion of
  15. silence
  16. without motion
    • sit still
  17. always, continually
  18. in a progressive manner : increasingly
  19. used as a function word to indicate the continuance of an action or condition
    • still lives there
    • drink it while it's still hot
  20. in spite of that : nevertheless
    • those who take the greatest care still make mistakes
  21. even
    • a still more difficult problem
    • heavier still
  22. yet
    • has still to be recognized
  23. quiet, silence
  24. a static photograph
  25. a photograph of actors or scenes of a motion picture for publicity or documentary purposes
  26. distill
  27. distillery
  28. apparatus used in distillation comprising either the chamber in which the vaporization is carried out or the entire equipment

still alarm -n

  1. a fire alarm transmitted (as by telephone call) without sounding the signal apparatus

still and all -adv

  1. nevertheless, still

still·birth ['stil-,bərth, -'bərth] -n

  1. the birth of a dead fetus

still·born [-'bȯrn] -adj, n

  1. dead at birth
  2. failing from the start : abortive, unsuccessful
    • a stillborn venture

stillhunt [-,hənt] -vi

  1. to ambush or stalk a quarry
  2. to pursue game noiselessly usu. without a dog
  3. to lie in wait for : approach by stealth

still hunt -n

  1. a quiet pursuing or ambushing of game

still less -conj

  1. much less, let alone
    • no living person...seemed to notice him, still less to expect him -- Thomas Hardy

still life -n

  1. a picture consisting predominantly of inanimate objects
  2. the category of graphic arts concerned with inanimate subject matter

still·man ['stil-mən] -n

  1. one who owns or operates a still

still·room ['stil-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. a room connected with the kitchen where liqueurs, preserves, and cakes are kept and beverages (as tea) are prepared

still water -n

  1. a part of a stream where no current is visible

stil·ly ['stil-lē] -adv

  1. in a calm manner : quietly

stilly ['sti-lē] -adj

  1. still, quiet

stilt ['stilt] -n

  1. one of two poles each with a rest or strap for the foot used to elevate the wearer above the ground in walking
  2. a pile or post serving as one of the supports of a structure above ground or water level
  3. any of several very long-legged 3-toed shorebirds (genera Himantopusand Cladorhynchus) that are related to the avocets, frequent inland ponds and marshes, and nest in small colonies
  4. to raise on or as if on stilts

stilt·ed ['stil-təd] -adj, adv, n

  1. pompous, lofty
  2. formal, stiff
  3. having the curve beginning at some distance above the impost
    • a stilted arch

Stil·ton ['stil-tᵊn] -n

  1. a blue-veined cheese with wrinkled rind made of whole cows' milk enriched with cream

stime ['stīm] -n

  1. glimmer
  2. glimpse

stim·u·lant ['stim-yə-lənt] -n, adj

  1. an agent (as a drug) that produces a temporary increase of the functional activity or efficiency of an organism or any of its parts
  2. stimulus
  3. an alcoholic beverage not used technically

stim·u·late [-,lāt] -vb, n, adj

  1. to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity : animate, arouse
  2. to function as a physiological stimulus to
  3. to arouse or affect by a stimulant (as a drug)
  4. to act as a stimulant or stimulus

stim·u·lus ['stim-yə-ləs] -n

  1. : something that rouses or incites to activity: as
  2. incentive
  3. stimulant
  4. an agent (as an environmental change) that directly influences the activity of a living organism or one of its parts (as by exciting a sensory organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)

sting ['stiŋ] -vb, adv

  1. : to prick painfully: as
  2. to pierce or wound with a poisonous or irritating process
  3. to affect with sharp quick pain or smart
    • hail stung their faces
  4. to cause to suffer acutely
    • stung with remorse
  5. overcharge, cheat
  6. to wound one with or as if with a sting
  7. to feel a keen burning pain or smart
  8. to cause such pain
  9. the act of stinging
  10. the thrust of a stinger into the flesh
  11. a wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging
  12. stinger
  13. a sharp or stinging element, force, or quality
  14. an elaborate confidence game
  15. such a game worked by undercover police in order to trap criminals

sting·a·ree ['stiŋ-ə-rē also 'stiŋ-rē] -n

  1. stingray

sting·er ['stiŋ-ər] -n

  1. one that stings
  2. a sharp blow or remark
  3. a sharp organ (as of a bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usu. connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison
  4. a cocktail usu. consisting of brandy and white creme de menthe

stinging nettle -n

  1. nettle
  2. a Eurasian nettle ( Urtica dioica) widely naturalized in No. America that has numerous hairs extremely irritating to the skin

sting·less ['stiŋ-ləs] -adj

  1. having no sting or stinger

sting·ray [-,rā] -n

  1. any of numerous rays (as of the family Dasyatidae) with one or more large sharp barbed dorsal spines near the base of the whiplike tail capable of inflicting severe wounds

stin·gy ['stin-jē] -adj, adv, n

  1. not generous or liberal : sparing or scant in using, giving, or spending
    • stingy with the salt
    • stingy employee benefits
  2. meanly scanty or small
    • stingy portions of meat

stink ['stiŋk] -vi, adj

  1. to emit a strong offensive odor
    • stank of urine
  2. to be offensive
    • the election stank of corruption
  3. to be in bad repute
  4. to possess something to an offensive degree
    • stink ing with wealth
  5. to be extremely bad or unpleasant
    • the performance stank
    • that news really stink s
  6. a strong offensive odor : stench
  7. a public outcry against something : fuss
    • made a big stink when asked to leave

stink·ard ['stiŋ-kərd] -n

  1. a mean or contemptible person

stink bomb -n

  1. a small bomb charged usu. with chemicals that gives off a foul odor on bursting

stink·bug ['stiŋk-,bəg] -n

  1. any of various hemipterous bugs (esp. family Pentatomidae) that emit a disagreeable odor

stink·er ['stiŋ-kər] -n

  1. an offensive or contemptible person
  2. one that stinks
  3. something of very poor quality
  4. dud
    • the movie is a stinker
  5. any of several large petrels that have an offensive odor
  6. something extremely difficult
    • the examination was a real stinker

stink·horn ['stiŋk-,hȯrn] -n

  1. any of various fetid basidiomycetous fungi (order Phallales, esp. Phallus impudicus) having spores dispersed by insects

stinking -adj, adv

  1. strong and offensive to the sense of smell
    • stinking garbage
  2. offensively drunk
  3. contemptible, lousy often used as an intensive
    • the whole stinking affair
  4. to an extreme degree
    • got stinking drunk

stinking smut -n

  1. bunt

stink·pot ['stiŋk-,pät] -n

  1. an earthen jar filled with fetid material and formerly sometimes thrown as a stink bomb on the deck of an enemy ship
  2. a musk turtle ( Sternotherus odoratus) of the U.S. and Canada
  3. stinker
  4. motorboat

stink up -vt

  1. to cause to stink or be filled with a stench

stink·weed ['stiŋk-,wēd] -n

  1. : any of various strong-scented or fetid plants: as
  2. pennycress
  3. jimsonweed

stink·wood [-,wu̇d] -n

  1. any of several trees with a wood of unpleasant odor
  2. a southern African tree ( Ocotea bullata) of the laurel family yielding a hard strong wood used in cabinetmaking
  3. the wood of a stinkwood

stint ['stint] -vb, n

  1. stop, desist
  2. to be sparing or frugal
    • not stint ing with their praise
  3. to put an end to : stop
  4. to limit within certain boundaries
  5. to restrict with respect to a share or allowance
    • stint ed herself of luxuries
  6. a definite quantity of work assigned
  7. a period of time spent at a particular activity
    • served a brief stint as a waiter
  8. restraint, limitation
  9. any of several small sandpipers (genus Calidris)

stipe ['stīp] -n, adj

  1. : a usu. short stalk of a plant or fungus: as
  2. the stem supporting the cap of a fungus
  3. a part that is similar to a stipe and connects the holdfast and blade of a frondose alga
  4. the petiole of a fern frond
  5. a prolongation of the receptacle beneath the ovary of a seed plant

sti·pend ['stī-,pend, -pənd] -n

  1. a fixed sum of money paid periodically for services or to defray expenses

sti·pen·di·ary [stī-'pen-dē-,er-ē] -n

  1. one who receives a stipend

stipendiary -adj

  1. receiving or compensated by wages or salary
    • a stipendiary curate
  2. of or relating to a stipend

stip·ple ['sti-pəl] -vt, n

  1. to engrave by means of dots and flicks
  2. to make by small short touches (as of paint or ink) that together produce an even or softly graded shadow
  3. to apply (as paint) by repeated small touches
  4. speckle, fleck

stipple -n

  1. production of gradation of light and shade in graphic art by stippling small points, larger dots, or longer strokes
  2. an effect produced in this way

stip·u·lar ['sti-pyə-lər] -adj

  1. of, resembling, or having stipules
    • stipular glands

stip·u·late ['sti-pyə-,lāt] -vb, n

  1. to make an agreement or covenant to do or forbear something : contract
  2. to demand an express term in an agreement used with for
  3. to specify as a condition or requirement (as of an agreement or offer)
  4. to give a guarantee of
  5. having stipules

stip·u·la·tion [,sti-pyə-'lā-shən] -n, adj

  1. an act of stipulating
  2. something stipulated
  3. a condition, requirement, or item specified in a legal instrument

stip·ule ['sti-(,)pyül] -n

  1. either of a pair of appendages borne at the base of the petiole in many plants

stir ['stər] -vb, n

  1. to cause an esp. slight movement or change of position of
  2. to disturb the quiet of : agitate often used with up
    • the bear stirred up the bees
  3. to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of esp. by a continued circular movement
    • stir the pudding
    • stir the fire
    often used with up
    • stirred up mud from the lake bottom
  4. to mix by or as if by stirring often used with in
    • stir in the spices
  5. bestir, exert
  6. to bring into notice or debate : raise often used with up
    • stir up sensitive issues
  7. to rouse to activity : evoke strong feelings in
    • music that stir s the emotions
  8. to call forth (as a memory) : evoke
  9. provoke
    • stir a storm of controversy
  10. to make a slight movement
    • the leaves were barely stirring
  11. to begin to move (as in rousing)
  12. to shift to another location : budge
    • haven't stirred since I arrived
  13. to begin to be active
    • the factory stirred to life
  14. to be active or busy
    • not a creature was stirring -- Clement Moore
  15. to pass an implement through a substance with a circular movement
  16. to be able to be stirred
  17. a state of disturbance, agitation, or brisk activity
  18. widespread notice and discussion : impression
    • the book caused quite a stir
  19. a slight movement
  20. a stirring movement
  21. prison

stir·about ['stər-ə-,bau̇t] -n

  1. a porridge of Irish origin consisting of oatmeal or cornmeal boiled in water or milk and stirred

stircra·zy ['stər-'krā-zē] -adj

  1. distraught because of prolonged confinement

stirfry [-'frī] -vt

  1. to fry quickly over high heat in a lightly oiled pan (as a wok) while stirring continuously
  2. to prepare food by stir-frying it
  3. a dish of something stir-fried

stirk ['stərk] -n

  1. a young bull or cow esp. between one and two years old

Stir·ling engine ['stər-liŋ-] -n

  1. an external combustion engine having an enclosed working fluid (as helium) that is alternately compressed and expanded to operate a piston

Stir·ling's formula ['stər-liŋz-] -n

  1. a formulathat approximates the value of the factorial of a very large number n

stirp ['stərp] -n

  1. a line descending from a common ancestor : stock, lineage

stirring -adj

  1. active, bustling
  2. rousing, inspiring
    • a stirring speech
  3. a beginning of motion or activity : movement often used in pl.
    • the first stirring s of revolution

stir·rup ['stər-əp also 'stir-əp or 'stə-rəp] -n

  1. either of a pair of small light frames or rings for receiving the foot of a rider that are attached by a strap to a saddle and used to aid in mounting and as a support while riding
  2. : a piece resembling a stirrup: as
  3. one used as a support or clamp in carpentry and machinery
  4. a stirrup-shaped footrest
  5. a rope secured to a yard and attached to a thimble in its lower end for supporting a footrope
  6. stapes

stirrup cup -n

  1. a small serving of drink (as wine) taken by a rider about to depart
  2. the vessel in which it is served
  3. a farewell cup

stirrup leather -n

  1. the looped strap suspending a stirrup

stirrup pump -n

  1. a portable hand pump held in position by a foot bracket and used for throwing a jet or spray of liquid

stitch ['stich] -n

  1. a local sharp and sudden pain esp. in the side
  2. one in-and-out movement of a threaded needle in sewing, embroidering, or suturing
  3. a portion of thread left in the material or suture left in the tissue after one stitch
  4. a least bit esp. of clothing
    • didn't have a stitch on
  5. a single loop of thread or yarn around an implement (as a knitting needle or crochet hook)
  6. a stitch or series of stitches formed in a particular way
    • a basting stitch
  7. to fasten, join, or close with or as if with stitches
    • stitch ed a seam
  8. to make, mend, or decorate with or as if with stitches
  9. to unite by means of staples
  10. sew

stitch·ery ['stich-rē, 'sti-chə-] -n

  1. needlework

stitch·wort ['stich-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. any of several chickweeds (esp. genus Stellaria)

stithy ['sti-thē, -thē] -n

  1. anvil
  2. smithy

sti·ver ['stī-vər] -n

  1. a unit of value and coin of the Netherlands equal to gulden
  2. something of little value

stk -abbr

  1. stock

STL -abbr

  1. licentiate of sacred theology

STM -abbr

  1. master of sacred theology
  2. scanning tunneling microscope; scanning tunneling microscopy

stoa ['stō-ə] -n

  1. an ancient Greek portico usu. walled at the back with a front colonnade designed to afford a sheltered promenade

stoat ['stōt] -n

  1. the common Holarctic ermine ( Mustela erminea) esp. in its brown summer coat

stob ['stäb] -n

  1. stake, post

stoc·ca·do [stə-'kä-(,)dō] -n

  1. a thrust with a rapier

sto·chas·tic [stə-'kas-tik, stō-] -adj, adv

  1. random
  2. involving a random variable
    • a stochastic process
  3. involving chance or probability : probabilistic
    • a stochastic model of radiation-induced mutation

stock ['stäk] -n

  1. stump
  2. a log or block of wood
  3. something without life or consciousness
  4. a dull, stupid, or lifeless person
  5. : a supporting framework or structure: as
  6. the frame or timbers holding a ship during construction
  7. a device for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the feet or feet and hands can be locked
  8. the wooden part by which a shoulder arm is held during firing
  9. the butt of an implement (as a whip or fishing rod)
  10. bitstock, brace
  11. a long beam on a field gun forming the third support point in firing
  12. the main stem of a plant : trunk
  13. a plant or plant part united with a scion in grafting and supplying mostly underground parts to a graft
  14. a plant from which slips or cuttings are taken
  15. the crosspiece of an anchor
  16. the original (as a person, race, or language) from which others derive : source
  17. the descendants of one individual : family, lineage
    • of European stock
  18. a compound organism
  19. an infraspecific group usu. having unity of descent
  20. a related group of languages
  21. a language family
  22. the equipment, materials, or supplies of an establishment
  23. livestock
  24. a store or supply accumulated or available
  25. the inventory of goods of a merchant or manufacturer
  26. a supply of capital : funds
  27. money or capital invested or available for investment or trading
  28. the part of a tally formerly given to the creditor in a transaction
  29. a debt or fund due (as from a government) for money loaned at interest
  30. capital or a debt or fund bearing interest in perpetuity and not ordinarily redeemable as to principal
  31. the proprietorship element in a corporation usu. divided into shares and represented by transferable certificates
  32. a portion of such stock of one or more companies
  33. stock certificate
  34. any of a genus ( Matthiola) of Old World herbs or subshrubs of the mustard family with racemes of usu. sweet-scented flowers
  35. a wide band or scarf worn about the neck esp. by some clergymen
  36. liquid in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered that is used as a basis for soup, gravy, or sauce
  37. raw material from which something is manufactured
  38. paper used for printing
  39. the portion of a pack of cards not distributed to the players at the beginning of a game
  40. an estimate or evaluation of something
    • take stock of the situation
  41. the estimation in which someone or something is held
    • his stock with the electorate remains high -- Newsweek
  42. confidence or faith placed in someone or something
    • put little stock in his testimony
  43. the production and presentation of plays by a stock company
  44. stock car
  45. to make (a domestic animal) pregnant
  46. to fit to or with a stock
  47. to provide with stock or a stock : supply
    • stock a stream with trout
  48. to procure or keep a stock of
    • our store stock s that brand
  49. to graze (livestock) on land
  50. to send out new shoots
  51. to put in stock or supplies
    • stock up on canned goods
  52. kept regularly in stock
    • comes in stock sizes
    • a stock model
  53. commonly used or brought forward : standard
    • the stock answer
  54. kept for breeding purposes : brood
    • a stock mare
  55. devoted to the breeding and rearing of livestock
    • a stock farm
  56. used or intended for livestock
    • a stock train
  57. used in herding livestock
    • a stock horse
    • a stock dog
  58. of or relating to a stock company
  59. employed in handling, checking, or taking care of the stock of merchandise on hand
    • a stock clerk

stock·ade [stä-'kād] -n

  1. a line of stout posts set firmly to form a defense
  2. an enclosure or pen made with posts and stakes
  3. an enclosure in which prisoners are kept

stockade -vt

  1. to fortify or surround with a stockade

stockade fence -n

  1. a solid fence of half-round boards pointed at the top

stock boy -n

  1. a boy or man employed to stock shelves

stock·breed·er ['stäk-,brē-dər] -n

  1. a person engaged in the breeding and care of livestock for the market, for show purposes, or for racing

stock·bro·ker [-,brō-kər] -n

  1. a broker who executes orders to buy and sell securities and often also acts as a security dealer

stock car -n

  1. a latticed railroad boxcar for carrying livestock
  2. a racing car having the basic chassis of a commercially produced assembly-line model

stock certificate -n

  1. an instrument evidencing ownership of one or more shares of the stock of a corporation

stock company -n

  1. a corporation or joint-stock company of which the capital is represented by stock
  2. a theatrical company attached to a repertory theater
  3. one without outstanding stars

stock dividend -n

  1. the payment by a corporation of a dividend in the form of shares usu. of its own stock without change in par value
  2. the stock distributed in a stock dividend

stock·er ['stä-kər] -n

  1. a young animal (as a steer or heifer) suitable for being fed and fattened for market
  2. an animal (as a heifer) suitable for use in a breeding establishment
  3. stock car

stock exchange -n

  1. a place where security trading is conducted on an organized system
  2. an association of people organized to provide an auction market among themselves for the purchase and sale of securities

stock·fish [-,fish] -n

  1. fish (as cod, haddock, or hake) dried hard in the open air without salt

stock·hold·er ['stäk-,hōl-dər] -n

  1. an owner of corporate stock

Stock·holm syndrome ['stäk-,hō(l)m-] -n

  1. the psychological tendency of a hostage to bond with, identify with, or sympathize with his or her captor

stock·i·nette [,stä-kə-'net] -n

  1. a soft elastic usu. cotton fabric used esp. for bandages and infants' wear

stock·ing ['stä-kiŋ] -n, adj

  1. a usu. knit close-fitting covering for the foot and leg
  2. sock
  3. something resembling a stocking
  4. a ring of distinctive color on the lower part of the leg of an animal

stocking cap -n

  1. a long knitted cone-shaped cap with a tassel or pom-pom worn esp. for winter sports or play

stocking stuffer -n

  1. a small gift suitable for placing in a Christmas stocking

stockintrade [,stäk-ən-'trād, 'stäk-ən-,] -n

  1. the equipment, merchandise, or materials necessary to or used in a trade or business
  2. something that resembles the standard equipment of a tradesman or business
    • humor was her stockintrade as a writer

stock·ish ['stä-kish] -adj

  1. like a stock : stupid

stock·ist ['stä-kist] -n

  1. one (as a retailer) that stocks goods

stock·job·ber ['stäk-,jä-bər] -n

  1. : one who deals in stocks: as
  2. a member of the London Stock Exchange who deals speculatively with brokers or other jobbers and usu. specializes in one class of securities called also jobber
  3. stockbroker

stock·job·bing [-,jä-biŋ] -n

  1. speculative exchange dealings

stock·keep·er ['stäk-,kē-pər] -n

  1. one that keeps and records stock (as in a warehouse) : one that keeps an inventory of goods on hand, shipped, or received
  2. one (as a herdsman or shepherd) having the charge or care of livestock

stock·man [-mən, -,man] -n

  1. one occupied as an owner or worker in the raising of livestock (as cattle or sheep)

stock market -n

  1. stock exchange
  2. a market for particular stocks
  3. the market for stocks throughout a country

stock option -n

  1. an option contract involving stock
  2. a right granted by a corporation to officers or employees as a form of compensation that allows purchase of corporate stock at a fixed price usu. within a specified period

stock·pile ['stäk-,pī(-ə)l] -n

  1. : a storage pile: as
  2. a reserve supply of something essential accumulated within a country for use during a shortage
  3. a gradually accumulated reserve of something
    • avert stockpile s of unsold cars -- Bert Pierce

stockpile -vt, n

  1. to place or store in or on a stockpile
  2. to accumulate a stockpile of
    • a country suspected of stockpiling weapons

stock·pot ['stäk-,pät] -n

  1. a pot in which soup stock is prepared
  2. an abundant supply : repository

stock·room [-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. a storage place for supplies or goods used in a business

stock saddle -n

  1. western saddle

stock split -n

  1. a division of corporate stock by the issuing to existing shareholders of a specified number of new shares with a corresponding lowering of par value for each outstanding share

stockstill ['stäk-'stil] -adj

  1. very still : motionless
    • stood stockstill

stock·tak·ing ['stäk-,tā-kiŋ] -n

  1. the action of estimating a situation at a given moment
  2. inventory

stocky ['stä-kē] -adj, adv, n

  1. compact, sturdy, and relatively thick in build

stock·yard ['stäk-,yärd] -n

  1. a yard for stock
  2. one in which transient cattle, sheep, swine, or horses are kept temporarily for slaughter, market, or shipping

stodge ['stäj] -vt

  1. to stuff full esp. with food
  2. something or someone stodgy

stodgy ['stä-jē] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a rich filling quality : heavy
    • stodgy bread
  2. moving in a slow plodding way esp. as a result of physical bulkiness
  3. boring, dull
    • out on a peaceful rather stodgy Sunday boat trip -- Edna Ferber
  4. extremely old-fashioned : hidebound
    • received a pompously Victorian letter from his stodgy father -- E. E. S. Montagu
  5. drab
  6. dowdy

sto·gie ['stō-gē] -n

  1. a stout coarse shoe : brogan
  2. an inexpensive slender cylindrical cigar
  3. cigar

sto·ic ['stō-ik] -n

  1. a member of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium about 300 b.c.holding that the wise man should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submissive to natural law
  2. one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain

stoic [-i-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or resembling the Stoics or their doctrines
    • Stoic logic
  2. not affected by or showing passion or feeling
  3. firmly restraining response to pain or distress
    • a stoic indifference to cold

stoi·chio·met·ric [,stȯi-kē-ō-'me-trik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, used in, or marked by stoichiometry

stoi·chi·om·e·try [,stȯi-kē-'ä-mə-trē] -n

  1. a branch of chemistry that deals with the application of the laws of definite proportions and of the conservation of mass and energy to chemical activity
  2. the quantitative relationship between constituents in a chemical substance
  3. the quantitative relationship between two or more substances esp. in processes involving physical or chemical change

sto·i·cism ['stō-ə-,si-zəm] -n

  1. the philosophy of the Stoics
  2. indifference to pleasure or pain : impassiveness

stoke ['stōk] -vb

  1. to poke or stir up (as a fire) : supply with fuel
  2. to feed abundantly
  3. to increase the activity, intensity, or amount of
    • limiting the number of cars available...will help stoke demand for the car -- Keith Naughton
  4. to stir up or tend a fire (as in a furnace) : supply a furnace with fuel

stoked -adj

  1. being in an enthusiastic or exhilarated state

stoke·hold ['stōk-,hōld] -n

  1. the boiler room of a ship

stok·er ['stō-kər] -n

  1. one employed to tend a furnace and supply it with fuel
  2. one that tends a marine steam boiler
  3. a machine for feeding a fire

Stokes' aster ['stōks-] -n

  1. a perennial composite herb ( Stokesia laevis) of the southern U.S. often grown for its large showy heads of usu. blue flowers called also sto*ke*sia sto-ke-zh(e-), -ze-

STOL -abbr

  1. short takeoff and landing

stole ['stēl] -vb, adj, n

(variant of steal)

  1. to take the property of another wrongfully and esp. as a habitual or regular practice
  2. to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly
  3. to steal or attempt to steal a base
  4. to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully
    • stole a car
  5. to take away by force or unjust means
    • they've stolen our liberty
  6. to take surreptitiously or without permission
    • steal a kiss
  7. to appropriate to oneself or beyond one's proper share : make oneself the focus of
    • steal the show
  8. to move, convey, or introduce secretly : smuggle
  9. to accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner
    • steal a visit
  10. to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring
    • a basketball player adept at steal ing the ball
    • stole the election
  11. to reach (a base) safely solely by running and usu. catching the opposing team off guard
  12. the act or an instance of stealing
  13. a fraudulent or questionable political deal
  14. bargain
    • it's a steal at that price

stolen ['stēl] -vb, adj, n

(variant of steal)

  1. to take the property of another wrongfully and esp. as a habitual or regular practice
  2. to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly
  3. to steal or attempt to steal a base
  4. to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully
    • stole a car
  5. to take away by force or unjust means
    • they've stolen our liberty
  6. to take surreptitiously or without permission
    • steal a kiss
  7. to appropriate to oneself or beyond one's proper share : make oneself the focus of
    • steal the show
  8. to move, convey, or introduce secretly : smuggle
  9. to accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner
    • steal a visit
  10. to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring
    • a basketball player adept at steal ing the ball
    • stole the election
  11. to reach (a base) safely solely by running and usu. catching the opposing team off guard
  12. the act or an instance of stealing
  13. a fraudulent or questionable political deal
  14. bargain
    • it's a steal at that price

stol·id ['stä-ləd] -adj, n, adv

  1. having or expressing little or no sensibility : unemotional

stol·len ['shtō-lən, 'shtȯ-, 'shtə-, or with s for sh] -n

  1. a sweet yeast bread of German origin containing fruit and nuts

sto·lon ['stō-lən, -,län] -n

  1. a horizontal branch from the base of a plant that produces new plants from buds at its tip or nodes (as in the strawberry) called also runner
  2. a hypha (as of rhizopus) produced on the surface and connecting a group of conidiophores
  3. an extension of the body wall (as of a hydrozoan or bryozoan) that develops buds giving rise to new zooids which usu. remain united by the stolon

sto·lon·if·er·ous [,stō-lə-'ni-f(ə-)rəs] -adj

  1. bearing or developing stolons
    • stoloniferous bamboos

sto·ma ['stō-mə] -n

  1. any of various small simple bodily openings esp. in a lower animal
  2. one of the minute openings in the epidermis of a plant organ (as a leaf) through which gaseous interchange takes place
  3. the opening with its associated cellular structures
  4. an artificial permanent opening esp. in the abdominal wall made in surgical procedures

stom·ach ['stə-mək, -mik] -n

  1. a dilatation of the alimentary canal of a vertebrate communicating anteriorly with the esophagus and posteriorly with the duodenum
  2. one of the compartments of a ruminant stomach
    • the abomasum is the fourth stomach of a ruminant
  3. a cavity in an invertebrate animal that is analogous to a stomach
  4. the part of the body that contains the stomach : belly, abdomen
  5. desire for food caused by hunger : appetite
  6. inclination, desire
    • had no stomach for an argument
  7. courage, guts
  8. spirit, valor
  9. pride
  10. spleen, resentment

stomach -vt

  1. to take offense at
  2. to bear without overt reaction or resentment : put up with
    • couldn't stomach office politics

stom·ach·ache [-,āk] -n

  1. pain in or in the region of the stomach

stom·ach·er ['stə-mi-kər, -chər] -n

  1. the center front section of a waist or underwaist or a usu. heavily embroidered or jeweled separate piece for the center front of a bodice worn by men and women in the 15th and 16th centuries and later by women only

sto·mach·ic [stə-'ma-kik] -adj

  1. of or relating to the stomach
    • stomachic vessels

stomachic -n

  1. a stimulant or tonic for the stomach

stom·achy ['stə-mə-kē, -mi-] -adj

  1. irascible, irritable
  2. having a large stomach

sto·mal ['stō-məl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or situated near a surgical stoma
    • a stomal ulcer

stomat- -comb form

  1. mouth : stoma
    • stomat itis

sto·ma·tal ['stō-mə-tᵊl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or constituting plant stomata
    • stomatal openings
    • stomatal transpiration

sto·mate ['stō-,māt] -n

  1. stoma

sto·ma·ti·tis [,stō-mə-'tī-təs] -n

  1. any of numerous inflammatory diseases of the mouth

sto·mato·pod [stō-'ma-tə-,päd] -n, adj

  1. any of an order (Stomatopoda) of marine crustaceans (as a squilla) that have gills on the abdominal appendages

sto·mo·de·um [,stō-mə-'dē-əm] -n, adj

  1. the embryonic anterior ectodermal part of the alimentary canal or tract

stomp ['stämp, 'stȯmp] -vb

  1. stamp
  2. to walk with a loud heavy step usu. in anger
    • stomp ed out of the office in a fit
  3. stamp
    • stomp ed on the brakes
  4. stamp
  5. a jazz dance marked by heavy stamping

stomping ground -n

  1. a favorite or habitual resort
  2. familiar territory

stone ['stōn] -n

  1. : a concretion of earthy or mineral matter:
  2. such a concretion of indeterminate size or shape
  3. rock
  4. : a piece of rock for a specified function: as
  5. a building block
  6. a paving block
  7. a precious stone : gem
  8. gravestone
  9. grindstone
  10. whetstone
  11. a surface upon which a drawing, text, or design to be lithographed is drawn or transferred
  12. : something resembling a small stone: as
  13. calculus
  14. the hard central portion of a drupaceous fruit (as a peach)
  15. a hard stony seed (as of a date)
  16. any of various units of weight
  17. an official British unit equal to 14 pounds (6.3 kilograms)
  18. curling stone
  19. a round playing piece used in various games (as backgammon or go)
  20. a stand or table with a smooth flat top on which to impose or set type
  21. to hurl stones at
  22. to kill by pelting with stones
  23. to make hard or insensitive to feeling
  24. to face, pave, or fortify with stones
  25. to remove the stones or seeds of (a fruit)
  26. to rub, scour, or polish with a stone
  27. to sharpen with a whetstone
  28. entirely, utterly used as an intensive often used in combination
    • stone -broke
    • stone -cold soup
    • stone -dead
  29. of, relating to, or made of stone
  30. absolute, utter
    • pure stone craziness -- Edwin Shrake

Stone Age -n

  1. the first known period of prehistoric human culture characterized by the use of stone tools
  2. a stage in a human institution or field of endeavor regarded as primitive, outmoded, or obsolete
    • the Stone Age of information handling before computers
  3. of, relating to, or resembling the culture of the Stone Age esp. in the use of stone implements
    • modern Stone Age peoples
    • our Stone Age ancestors
  4. primitive, outmoded, or unsophisticated (as in ideas or technology) by currently accepted standards
    • marauding mercenaries with Stone Age political ideas -- Robert Moss
    • using a Stone Age camera

stoneblind ['stōn-'blīnd] -adj

  1. totally blind

stone·boat [-,bōt] -n

  1. a flat sledge or drag for transporting heavy articles (as stones)

stone canal -n

  1. a tube in many echinoderms that contains calcareous deposits and leads from the madreporite to the ring of the water-vascular system surrounding the mouth

stone cell -n

  1. sclereid

stone·chat [-,chat] -n

  1. an Old World oscine songbird ( Saxicola torquata) of the thrush family
  2. any of various related birds (genus Saxicola)

stone china -n

  1. a hard dense opaque feldspathic pottery developed in England
  2. ironstone china

stonecold ['stōn-'kōld] -adv

  1. absolutely
    • stonecold sober

stone crab -n

  1. a large brownish edible crab ( Menippe mercenariaof the family Xanthidae) found on the southern coast of the U.S. and in the Caribbean area

stone·crop ['stōn-,kräp] -n

  1. sedum
  2. an Old World creeping evergreen sedum ( Sedum acre) with pungent fleshy leaves and yellow flowers
  3. any of various plants of the orpine family related to the sedums

stone·cut·ter [-,kə-tər] -n

  1. one that cuts, carves, or dresses stone
  2. a machine for dressing stone

stoned ['stōnd] -adj

  1. drunk
  2. being under the influence of a drug (as marijuana) taken esp. for pleasure : high

stonedeaf [-'def] -adj

  1. totally deaf

stonefaced [-,fāst] -adj

  1. showing no emotion : expressionless

stone·fish ['stōn-,fish] -n

  1. any of several small spiny venomous bony fishes (family Synanceiidae, esp. genus Synanceja) common about coral reefs of the tropical Indo-Pacific

stone fly -n

  1. any of an order (Plecoptera) of insects with an aquatic carnivorous nymph having gills and an adult having long antennae, two pairs of membranous wings, and usu. long cerci

stone fruit -n

  1. a fruit with a stony endocarp : drupe

stoneground ['stōn-'grau̇nd] -adj

  1. ground with millstones
    • stoneground flour

stone·ma·son ['stōn-,mā-sᵊn] -n

  1. a mason who builds with stone

ston·er ['stō-nər] -n

  1. a person who habitually uses drugs or alcohol

stone roller -n

  1. hog sucker
  2. a common cyprinid fish ( Campostoma anomalum) found esp. in clear streams of the central U.S.

stone's throw -n

  1. a short distance
    • lives within a stone's throw of town

stone·wall ['stōn-,wȯl] -vi, n

  1. to engage in obstructive parliamentary debate or delaying tactics
  2. to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive
  3. to refuse to comply or cooperate with

stone wall -n

  1. a fence made of stones
  2. one built of rough stones without mortar to enclose a field
  3. an immovable block or obstruction (as in public affairs)

stone·ware [-,wer] -n

  1. a strong opaque ceramic ware that is high-fired, well vitrified, and nonporous

stone·washed [-,wȯsht, -,wäsht also -,wȯrsht or -,wärsht] -adj

  1. subjected to a washing process during manufacture that includes the use of abrasive stones esp. to create a softer fabric
    • stonewashed denim jeans

stone·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. a structure or part built of stone : masonry
  2. the shaping, preparation, or setting of stone

stone·wort [-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. any of various freshwater green algae (order Charales) that have a thallus differentiated into rhizoids and stems with whorls of branchlets and that are often encrusted with calcareous deposits

stony ['stō-nē] -adj, adv, n

  1. abounding in or having the nature of stone : rocky
  2. insensitive to pity or human feeling : obdurate
  3. manifesting no movement or reaction : dumb, expressionless
  4. fearfully gripping : petrifying
  5. consisting of or made of stones
  6. stone broke

stony·heart·ed ['stō-nē-,här-təd] -adj

  1. unfeeling, cruel

stood ['stand] -vb, n

(variant of stand)

  1. to support oneself on the feet in an erect position
  2. to be a specified height when fully erect
    • stand s six feet two
  3. to rise to an erect position
  4. to take up or maintain a specified position or posture
    • stand aside
    • can you stand on your head
  5. to maintain one's position
    • stand firm
  6. to be in a particular state or situation
    • stand s accused
  7. to hold a course at sea
  8. hesitate
  9. to have or maintain a relative position in or as if in a graded scale
    • stand s first in the class
  10. to be in a position to gain or lose because of an action taken or a commitment made
    • stand s to make quite a profit
  11. to be a candidate : run
  12. to rest or remain upright on a base or lower end
    • a clock stood on the mantle
  13. to occupy a place or location
    • the house stand s on a knoll
  14. to remain stationary or inactive
    • the car stood in the garage for a week
  15. to gather slowly and remain
    • tears stand ing in her eyes
  16. agree, accord used chiefly in the expression it stands to reason
  17. to exist in a definite written or printed form
    • copy a passage exactly as it stand s
  18. to remain valid or efficacious
    • the order given last week still stand s
  19. to be available as a sire used esp. of horses
  20. to refuse additional cards (as in blackjack)
  21. to endure or undergo successfully
    • this book will stand the test of time
  22. to tolerate without flinching : bear courageously
    • stand s pain well
  23. to endure the presence or personality of
    • can't stand the boss
  24. to derive benefit or enjoyment from
    • you look like you could stand a drink
  25. to remain firm in the face of
    • stand a siege
  26. to submit to
    • stand trial
  27. to perform the duty of
    • stand guard
  28. to participate in (a military formation)
  29. to pay the cost of (a treat) : pay for
    • I'll stand you a dinner
    • stand drinks
  30. to cause to stand : set upright
  31. to make available for breeding
    • stand a stallion
  32. a halt for defense or resistance
  33. an often defensive effort of some duration or degree of success
    • a goal-line stand
  34. a stop made to give a performance
    • a 6-game stand at home
  35. a town where such a stop is made
  36. an act of stopping or staying in one place
  37. a place or post where one stands
  38. a strongly or aggressively held position esp. on a debatable issue
    • took a stand against higher taxes
  39. the place taken by a witness for testifying in court
  40. a section of the tiered seats for spectators of a sport or spectacle
  41. the occupants of such seats
  42. a raised platform (as for a speaker or hunter) serving as a point of vantage
  43. a small often open-air structure for a small retail business
    • a vegetable stand
    • a hot dog stand
  44. a site fit for business opportunity
  45. a place where a passenger vehicle stops or parks
    • a taxi stand
  46. hive
  47. a frame on or in which something may be placed for support
  48. a group of plants growing in a continuous area
  49. a standing posture

stooge ['stüj] -n

  1. one who plays a subordinate or compliant role to a principal
  2. puppet
  3. straight man
  4. stool pigeon
  5. to act as a stooge
    • congressmen who stooge for the oil and mineral interests -- New Republic

stook ['stük, 'stu̇k] -n, vt

  1. shock

stool ['stül] -n

  1. a seat usu. without back or arms supported by three or four legs or by a central pedestal
  2. a low bench or portable support for the feet or knees : footstool
  3. a seat used as a symbol of office or authority
  4. the rank, dignity, office, or rule of a chieftain
  5. a seat used while defecating or urinating
  6. a discharge of fecal matter
  7. a stump or group of stumps of a tree esp. when producing suckers
  8. a plant crown from which shoots grow out
  9. a shoot or growth from a stool
  10. stool pigeon
  11. to throw out shoots in the manner of a stool

stool·ie ['stü-lē] -n

  1. stool pigeon

stool pigeon -n

  1. a person acting as a decoy or informer
  2. a spy sent into a group to report (as to the police) on its activities
  3. a pigeon used as a decoy to draw others within a net

stoop ['stüp] -vb

  1. to bend the body or a part of the body forward and downward sometimes simultaneously bending the knees
  2. to stand or walk with a forward inclination of the head, body, or shoulders
  3. yield, submit
  4. to descend from a superior rank, dignity, or status
  5. to lower oneself morally
    • stoop ed to lying
  6. to move down from a height : alight
  7. to fly or dive down swiftly usu. to attack prey
  8. debase, degrade
  9. to bend (a part of the body) forward and downward
  10. an act of bending the body forward
  11. a temporary or habitual forward bend of the back and shoulders
  12. the descent of a bird esp. on its prey
  13. a lowering of oneself
  14. a porch, platform, entrance stairway, or small veranda at a house door

stoop·ball ['stüp-,bȯl] -n

  1. a variation of baseball in which a player throws a ball against a stoop or building and runs to base while other players attempt to retrieve the rebound and put the runner out

stoop labor -n

  1. the hard labor done or required to plant, cultivate, and harvest a crop and esp. a crop of vegetables

stop ['stäp] -vb, adj

  1. to close by filling or obstructing
  2. to hinder or prevent the passage of
  3. to get in the way of : be wounded or killed by
    • easy to stop a bullet along a lonely...road -- Harvey Fergusson
  4. to close up or block off (an opening) : plug
  5. to make impassable : choke, obstruct
  6. to cover over or fill in (a hole or crevice)
  7. to cause to give up or change a course of action
  8. to keep from carrying out a proposed action : restrain, prevent
    • stopped them from leaving
  9. to cause to cease : check, suppress
  10. discontinue
  11. to deduct or withhold (a sum due)
  12. to instruct one's bank to refuse (payment) or refuse payment of (as a check)
  13. to arrest the progress or motion of : cause to halt
    • stopped the car
  14. parry
  15. to check by means of a weapon : bring down, kill
  16. to beat in a boxing match by a knockout
  17. defeat
  18. baffle, nonplus
  19. to change the pitch of (as a violin string) by pressing with the finger or (as a wind instrument) by closing one or more finger holes or by thrusting the hand or a mute into the bell
  20. to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block (a bridge suit) before an opponent can run many tricks
  21. to cease activity or operation
    • his heart stopped
    • the rain stopped
  22. to come to an end esp. suddenly : close, finish
  23. to cease to move on : halt
  24. pause, hesitate
  25. to break one's journey : stay
  26. remain
  27. to make a brief call : drop in
  28. to become choked : clog
    • the sink often stop s up
  29. cessation, end
  30. a pause or breaking off in speech
  31. a graduated set of organ pipes of similar design and tone quality
  32. a corresponding set of vibrators or reeds of a reed organ
  33. stop knob often used figuratively in phrases like pull out all the stops to suggest holding nothing back
  34. a means of regulating the pitch of a musical instrument
  35. something that impedes, obstructs, or brings to a halt : impediment, obstacle
  36. the aperture of a camera lens
  37. a marking of a series (as of f-numbers) on a camera for indicating settings of the diaphragm
  38. a drain plug : stopper
  39. a device for arresting or limiting motion
  40. the act of stopping : the state of being stopped : check
  41. a halt in a journey : stay
    • made a brief stop to refuel
  42. a stopping place
    • a bus stop
  43. any of several punctuation marks
  44. used in telegrams and cables to indicate a period
  45. a pause or break in a verse that marks the end of a grammatical unit
  46. an order stopping payment (as of a check or note) by a bank
  47. stop order
  48. a consonant characterized by complete closure of the breath passage in the course of articulation
  49. a depression in the face of an animal at the junction of forehead and muzzle
  50. a function of an electronic device that stops a recording
  51. serving to stop : designed to stop
    • stop line
    • stop signal

stopac·tion ['stäp-'ak-shən] -n

  1. stop-motion

stopandgo [,stäp-ən-'gō, -ᵊm-, attributively -,gō] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or involving frequent stops
  2. controlled or regulated by traffic lights
    • stopandgo driving

stop bath -n

  1. an acid bath used to check photographic development of a negative or print

stop·cock ['stäp-,käk] -n

  1. a cock for stopping or regulating flow (as through a pipe)

stop down -vt

  1. to reduce the effective aperture of (a lens) by means of a diaphragm

stope ['stōp] -n

  1. a usu. steplike excavation underground for the removal of ore that is formed as the ore is mined in successive layers

stop·gap ['stäp-,gap] -n

  1. something that serves as a temporary expedient : makeshift
    • stopgap measures

stop knob -n

  1. one of the handles by which an organist draws or shuts off a particular stop

stop·light ['stäp-,līt] -n

  1. a light on the rear of a motor vehicle that is illuminated when the driver presses the brake pedal
  2. traffic signal

stopmo·tion ['stäp-'mō-shən] -n

  1. a filming technique in which successive positions of objects (as clay models) are photographed to produce the appearance of movement

stop order -n

  1. an order to a broker to buy or sell respectively at the market when the price of a security advances or declines to a designated level

stop out ['stäp-,au̇t] -vi, n

  1. to withdraw temporarily from enrollment at a college or university

stop·over ['stäp-,ō-vər] -n

  1. a stop at an intermediate point in one's journey
  2. a stopping place on a journey

stop·page ['stä-pij] -n

  1. the act of stopping : the state of being stopped : halt, obstruction
    • a stoppage in play

stop payment -n

  1. a depositor's order to a bank to refuse to honor a specified check drawn by him or her

stop·per ['stä-pər] -n

  1. : one that brings to a halt or causes to stop operating or functioning : check: as
  2. a playing card that will stop the running of a suit
  3. a baseball pitcher depended on to win important games or to stop a losing streak
  4. an effective relief pitcher
  5. one that closes, shuts, or fills up
  6. something (as a bung or cork) used to plug an opening

stopper [-p(ə-)riŋ] -vt

  1. to close or secure with or as if with a stopper
    • stopper the bottle

stopper knot -n

  1. a knot used to prevent a rope from passing through a hole or opening

stop·ple ['stä-pəl] -n

  1. something that closes an aperture : stopper, plug

stopple [-p(ə-)liŋ] -vt

  1. stopper

stop·watch ['stäp-,wäch] -n

  1. a watch with a hand or a digital display that can be started and stopped at will for exact timing (as of a race)

stor -abbr

  1. storage

stor·age ['stȯr-ij] -n

  1. space or a place for storing
  2. an amount stored
  3. memory
  4. the act of storing : the state of being stored
  5. the safekeeping of goods in a depository (as a warehouse)
  6. the price charged for keeping goods in a storehouse
  7. the production by means of electric energy of chemical reactions that when allowed to reverse themselves generate electricity again without serious loss

storage battery -n

  1. a cell or connected group of cells that converts chemical energy into electrical energy by reversible chemical reactions and that may be recharged by passing a current through it in the direction opposite to that of its discharge called also storage cell

sto·rax ['stȯr-,aks] -n

  1. a fragrant balsam obtained from the bark of an Asian tree ( Liquidambar orientalis) of the witch-hazel family that is used as an expectorant and sometimes in perfumery called also Levant storax
  2. a balsam from the sweet gum that is similar to storax
  3. any of a genus ( Styraxof the family Styracaceae, the storax family) of trees or shrubs with usu. hairy leaves and white flowers in drooping racemes

store ['stȯr] -vt, adj

  1. lay away, accumulate
    • store vegetables for winter use
    • an organism that absorbs and store s DDT
  2. furnish, supply
  3. to stock against a future time
    • store a ship with provisions
  4. to place or leave in a location (as a warehouse, library, or computer memory) for preservation or later use or disposal
  5. to provide storage room for : hold
    • elevators for storing surplus wheat
  6. something that is stored or kept for future use
  7. articles (as of food) accumulated for some specific object and drawn upon as needed : stock, supplies
  8. something that is accumulated
  9. a source from which things may be drawn as needed : a reserve fund
  10. storage usu. used with in
    • when placing eggs in store -- Dublin Sunday Independent
  11. value, importance
    • set great store by a partner's opinion
  12. a large quantity, supply, or number : abundance
  13. storehouse, warehouse
  14. memory
  15. a business establishment where usu. diversified goods are kept for retail sale
    • a grocery store
  16. of, relating to, kept in, or used for a store
  17. purchased from a store as opposed to being natural or homemade : manufactured, ready-made
    • store clothes
    • store bread

storebought ['stȯr-,bȯt] -adj

  1. store

store cheese -n

  1. cheddar

store·front ['stȯr-,frənt] -n

  1. the front side of a store or store building facing a street
  2. a building, room, or suite of rooms having a storefront

storefront -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a storefront church
    • a storefront evangelist
  2. occupying a room or suite of rooms in a store building at street level and immediately behind a storefront
    • a storefront school
  3. of, relating to, or being outreach professional services
    • storefront lawyers
    • a storefront clinic

storefront church -n

  1. a city church that utilizes storefront quarters as a meeting place

store·house ['stȯr-,hau̇s] -n

  1. a building for storing goods (as provisions) : magazine, warehouse
  2. an abundant supply or source : repository
    • a storehouse of information

store·keep·er [-,kē-pər] -n

  1. one that has charge of supplies (as military stores)
  2. one that operates a retail store

store·room [-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. a room or space for the storing of goods or supplies
  2. storehouse

store·ship [-,ship] -n

  1. a ship used to carry supplies

store·wide [-'wīd] -adj

  1. including all or most merchandise in a store
    • a storewide sale

sto·ried ['stȯr-ēd] -adj

  1. decorated with designs representing scenes from story or history
    • a storied tapestry
  2. having an interesting history : celebrated in story or history
    • a storied institution

storied ['stȯr-ēd] -adj

  1. having stories used in combination
    • a two- storied house

stork ['stȯrk] -n

  1. any of various large mostly Old World wading birds (family Ciconiidae) that have long stout bills and are related to the ibises and herons

storks·bill ['stȯrks-,bil] -n

  1. : any of several plants of the geranium family with elongate beaked fruits:
  2. pelargonium
  3. any of a genus ( Erodium) of herbs with small often veined or blotched flowers

storm ['stȯrm] -n

  1. a disturbance of the atmosphere marked by wind and usu. by rain, snow, hail, sleet, or thunder and lightning
  2. a heavy fall of rain, snow, or hail
  3. wind having a speed of 64 to 72 miles (103 to 117 kilometers) per hour
  4. whole gale
  5. a serious disturbance of any element of nature
  6. a disturbed or agitated state
    • storm s of emotion
    : a sudden or violent commotion
  7. a heavy discharge of objects (as missiles)
  8. a tumultuous outburst
    • a storm of protests
  9. paroxysm
  10. a sudden heavy influx or onset
  11. a violent assault on a defended position
  12. storm window
  13. to blow with violence
  14. to rain, hail, snow, or sleet vigorously
  15. to attack by storm
    • storm ed ashore at zero hour
  16. to be in or to exhibit a violent passion : rage
    • storm ing at the unusual delay
  17. to rush about or move impetuously, violently, or angrily
    • the mob storm ed through the streets
  18. to attack, take, or win over by storm
    • storm a fort

storm and stress -n

  1. sturm und drang

storm·bound ['stȯrm-'bau̇nd] -adj

  1. cut off from outside communication by a storm or its effects : stopped or delayed by storms

storm cellar -n

  1. a cellar or covered excavation designed for protection from dangerous windstorms (as tornadoes)

storm door -n

  1. an additional door placed outside an ordinary outside door for protection against severe weather

storm petrel -n

  1. any of various widespread small dark petrels (family Hydrobatidae) that typically return to land only to nest usu. in burrows called also Mother Carey's chicken

storm trooper -n

  1. a member of a private Nazi army notorious for aggressiveness, violence, and brutality
  2. one that resembles a Nazi storm trooper

storm window -n

  1. a sash placed outside an ordinary window as a protection against severe weather called also storm sash

stormy ['stȯr-mē] -adj, adv, n

  1. relating to, characterized by, or indicative of a storm
    • a stormy day
    • a stormy autumn
  2. marked by turmoil or fury
    • a stormy life
    • a stormy conference

stormy petrel -n

  1. storm petrel
  2. one fond of strife
  3. a harbinger of trouble

sto·ry ['stȯr-ē] -n

  1. history
  2. history
  3. an account of incidents or events
  4. a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question
  5. anecdote
  6. an amusing one
  7. a fictional narrative shorter than a novel
  8. short story
  9. the intrigue or plot of a narrative or dramatic work
  10. a widely circulated rumor
  11. lie, falsehood
  12. legend, romance
  13. a news article or broadcast
  14. matter, situation

story -vt

  1. to narrate or describe in story
  2. to adorn with a story or a scene from history
  3. the space in a building between two adjacent floor levels or between a floor and the roof
  4. a set of rooms in such a space
  5. a unit of measure equal to the height of the story of a building
    • one story high
  6. a horizontal division of a building's exterior not necessarily corresponding exactly with the stories within

sto·ry·board [-,bȯrd] -n, vt

  1. a panel or series of panels on which a set of sketches is arranged depicting consecutively the important changes of scene and action in a series of shots (as for a film, television show, or commercial)

sto·ry·book [-,bu̇k] -n

  1. a book of stories usu. for children

storybook -adj

  1. fairy-tale
    • a storybook romance

story line -n

  1. the plot of a story or drama

sto·ry·tell·er ['stȯr-ē-,te-lər] -n

  1. : a teller of stories: as
  2. a relater of anecdotes
  3. a reciter of tales (as in a children's library)
  4. liar, fibber
  5. a writer of stories

stoss ['stäs, 'stȯs, 'stōs, 'shtōs] -adj

  1. facing toward the direction from which an overriding glacier impinges
    • the stoss slope of a hill

stot ['stät] -vi

  1. to bound with a stiff-legged gait
    • the gazelle stotted when alarmed

sto·tin [stō-'tēn] -n

  1. a former monetary unit equal to Slovenian tolar

sto·tin·ka [stō-'tiŋ-kə, stə-] -n

  1. see lev at

stound ['stau̇nd, 'stünd] -n

  1. time, while

stoup ['stüp] -n

  1. a beverage container (as a glass or tankard)
  2. flagon
  3. a basin for holy water at the entrance of a church

stour ['stu̇r] -adj

  1. strong, hardy
  2. stern, harsh
  3. battle, conflict
  4. tumult, uproar
  5. dust, powder

stout ['stau̇t] -adj, adv, n

  1. : strong of character: as
  2. brave, bold
  3. firm, determined
  4. obstinate, uncompromising
  5. : physically or materially strong:
  6. sturdy, vigorous
  7. staunch, enduring
  8. sturdily constructed : substantial
  9. forceful
    • a stout attack
  10. violent
    • a stout wind
  11. bulky in body : fat
  12. a very dark full-bodied ale with a distinctive malty flavor
  13. a fat person
  14. a clothing size designed for the large figure

stout·en ['stau̇-tᵊn] -vb

  1. to make stout
    • stouten a resolve
  2. to become stout

stout·heart·ed ['stau̇t-,här-təd] -adj, adv, n

  1. : having a stout heart or spirit:
  2. courageous
  3. stubborn

stove ['stōv] -n

  1. a portable or fixed apparatus that burns fuel or uses electricity to provide heat (as for cooking or heating)
  2. a device that generates heat for special purposes (as for heating tools or heating air for a hot blast)
  3. kiln
  4. a hothouse esp. for the cultivation of tropical exotics
  5. greenhouse

stove ['stāv] -n

(variant of stave)

  1. staff
  2. any of the narrow strips of wood or narrow iron plates placed edge to edge to form the sides, covering, or lining of a vessel (as a barrel) or structure
  3. stanza
  4. staff
  5. to break in the staves of (a cask)
  6. to smash a hole in
    • stove in the boat
  7. to crush or break inward
    • staved in several ribs
  8. to drive or thrust away
  9. to become stove in used of a boat or ship
  10. to walk or move rapidly

stove·pipe ['stōv-,pīp] -n

  1. pipe of large diameter usu. of sheet steel used as a stove chimney or to connect a stove with a flue
  2. silk hat

sto·ver ['stō-vər] -n

  1. fodder
  2. mature cured stalks of corn with the ears removed that are used as feed for livestock

stow ['stō] -vt

  1. house, lodge
  2. to put away for future use : store
  3. to lock up for safekeeping : confine
  4. to dispose in an orderly fashion : arrange, pack
  5. load
  6. to put aside : stop
  7. crowd
  8. to eat or drink up usu. used with away
    • stow ed away a huge dinner

stow·age [-ij] -n

  1. an act or process of stowing
  2. goods in storage or to be stowed
  3. storage capacity
  4. a place or receptacle for storage
  5. the state of being stored

stow·away ['stō-ə-,wā] -n

  1. one that stows away

stow away -vi

  1. to secrete oneself aboard a vehicle as a means of obtaining transportation

STP [,es-,tē-'pē] -n

  1. a hallucinogenic drug chemically related to mescaline and amphetamine
  2. shielded twisted pair
  3. standard temperature and pressure

str -abbr

  1. steamer

stra·bis·mus [strə-'biz-məs] -n, adj

  1. inability of one eye to attain binocular vision with the other because of imbalance of the muscles of the eyeball called also squint

strad·dle ['stra-dᵊl] -vb, n

  1. to stand, sit, or walk with the legs wide apart
  2. to sit astride
  3. to spread out irregularly : sprawl
  4. to favor or seem to favor two apparently opposite sides
  5. to execute a commodities market spread
  6. to stand, sit, or be astride of
    • straddle a horse
    • campsites straddling the river
  7. to be noncommittal in regard to
    • straddle an issue
  8. to belong in part to (each of several categories)
    • a movie straddling genres

straddle -n

  1. the act or position of one who straddles
  2. a noncommittal or equivocal position
  3. spread

Stra·di·va·ri [,stra-də-'vär-ē, -'ver-] -n

  1. stradivarius

Strad·i·var·i·us [,stra-də-'ver-ē-əs] -n

  1. a stringed instrument (as a violin) made by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona

strafe ['strāf, esp Brit 'sträf] -vt, n

  1. to rake (as ground troops) with fire at close range and esp. with machine-gun fire from low-flying aircraft

strag·gle ['stra-gəl] -vi, n

  1. to wander from the direct course or way : rove, stray
  2. to trail off from others of its kind
    • little cabins straggling off into the woods

straggle -n

  1. a straggling group (as of persons or objects)

strag·gly ['stra-g(ə-)lē] -adj

  1. spread out or scattered irregularly
    • a straggly beard

straight ['strāt] -adj, adv, n

  1. free from curves, bends, angles, or irregularities
    • straight hair
    • straight timber
  2. generated by a point moving continuously in the same direction and expressed by a linear equation
    • a straight line
    • the straight segment of a curve
  3. lying along or holding to a direct or proper course or method
    • a straight thinker
  4. candid, frank
    • a straight answer
  5. coming directly from a trustworthy source
    • a straight tip on the horses
  6. having the elements in an order
    • the straight sequence of events
  7. consecutive
    • 12 straight days
  8. having the cylinders arranged in a single straight line
    • a straight 8-cylinder engine
  9. plumb, vertical
    • the picture isn't quite straight
  10. exhibiting honesty and fairness
    • straight dealing
  11. properly ordered or arranged
    • set the kitchen straight
    • set us straight on that issue
  12. correct
    • get the facts straight
  13. free from extraneous matter : unmixed
    • straight whiskey
  14. marked by no exceptions or deviations in support of a principle or party
    • votes a straight Democratic ticket
  15. having a fixed price for each regardless of the number sold
  16. not deviating from an indicated pattern
    • writes straight humor
    • a straight -A student
  17. exhibiting no deviation from what is established or accepted as usual, normal, or proper : conventional
  18. square
  19. not using or under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  20. heterosexual
  21. being the only form of remuneration
    • on straight commission
  22. in a straight manner
    • came straight home from work
  23. straighten
  24. : something that is straight: as
  25. a straight line or arrangement
  26. straightaway
  27. homestretch
  28. a true or honest report or course
  29. a sequence (as of shots, strokes, or moves) resulting in a perfect score in a game or contest
  30. first place at the finish of a horse race : win
  31. a poker hand containing five cards in sequence but not of the same suit
  32. a person who adheres to conventional attitudes and mores

straightahead ['strāt-ə-'hed] -adj

  1. relating to or being music performed in an unembellished manner typical of a given idiom or performer
  2. straightforward

straight and narrow -n

  1. the way of propriety and rectitude used with the

straight angle -n

  1. an angle whose sides lie in opposite directions from the vertex in the same straight line and which equals two right angles

straightarm ['strāt-,ärm] -n, vb

  1. an act or instance of warding off a person or thing by pushing with the palm of the hand with the arm fully extended from the shoulder and the elbow locked called also stiff-arm

straight arrow -n, adj

  1. a person who lives by rigidly proper or conventional standards

straight·away [,strāt-ə-'wā] -adv

  1. without hesitation or delay
  2. proceeding in a straight line : continuous in direction
  3. immediate
  4. : a straight course: as
  5. the straight part of a closed racecourse : stretch
  6. a straight and unimpeded stretch of road or way

straight·bred ['strāt-'bred] -adj, n

  1. produced by breeding a single breed, strain, or type
    • straightbred cattle

straight chain -n

  1. an open chain of atoms having no side chains usu. hyphenated when used attributively

straight·edge ['strāt-,ej] -n

  1. a bar or piece of material (as of wood, metal, or plastic) with a straight edge for testing straight lines and surfaces or for cutting along or drawing straight lines

straight·en ['strā-tᵊn] -vb, n

  1. to make straight usu. used with up or out
  2. to become straight usu. used with up or out

straight face ['strāt-'fāst] -n, adj, adv

  1. a face giving no evidence of emotion and esp. of merriment
    • lied with a straight face

straight flush -n

  1. a poker hand containing five cards of the same suit in sequence

straight·for·ward [,strāt-'fȯr-wərd, 'strāt-,] -adj, adv, n

  1. free from evasiveness or obscurity : exact, candid
    • a straightforward account
  2. clear-cut, precise
  3. proceeding in a straight course or manner : direct, undeviating

straightforward [-wərdz] -adv

  1. in a straightforward manner

straightline ['strāt-'līn] -adj

  1. being a mechanical linkage or equivalent device designed to produce or copy motion in a straight line
  2. having the principal parts arranged in a straight line
  3. marked by a uniform spread and esp. in equal segments over a given term
    • straightline amortization
    • straightline depreciation
  4. occurring, measured, or made in or along a straight line
    • straightline motion
    • straightline extrapolation

straight man -n

  1. a member of a comedy team who feeds lines to a partner who in turn replies with usu. humorous quips

straight off -adv

  1. at once : immediately

straightout ['strāt-'au̇t] -adj, adv

  1. forthright, blunt
    • gave a straightout answer
  2. outright, thoroughgoing

straight poker -n

  1. poker in which the players bet on the five cards dealt to them and then have a showdown without drawing

straight razor -n

  1. a razor with a rigid steel cutting blade hinged to a case that forms a handle when the razor is open for use

straight shooter -n

  1. a thoroughly upright straightforward person

straight·way ['strāt-'wā, -,wā] -adv

  1. in a direct course : directly
    • fell straightway down the stairs
  2. right away, immediately, straightaway
    • straightway the clouds began to part

strain ['strān] -n

  1. lineage, ancestry
  2. a group of presumed common ancestry with clear-cut physiological but usu. not morphological distinctions
    • a high-yielding strain of winter wheat
  3. a specified infraspecific group (as a stock, line, or ecotype)
  4. kind, sort
    • discussions of a lofty strain
  5. inherited or inherent character, quality, or disposition
    • a strain of madness in the family
  6. trace, streak
    • a strain of fanaticism
  7. tune, air
  8. a passage of verbal or musical expression
  9. a stream or outburst of forceful or impassioned speech
  10. the tenor, pervading note, burden, or tone of an utterance or of a course of action or conduct
  11. mood, temper
  12. to draw tight : cause to fit firmly
    • strain the bandage over the wound
  13. to stretch to maximum extension and tautness
    • strain a canvas over a frame
  14. to exert (as oneself) to the utmost
  15. to injure by overuse, misuse, or excessive pressure
    • strain ed his back
  16. to cause a change of form or size in (a body) by application of external force
  17. : to squeeze or clasp tightly: as
  18. hug
  19. to compress painfully : constrict
  20. to cause to pass through a strainer : filter
  21. to remove by straining
    • strain lumps out of the gravy
  22. to stretch beyond a proper limit
    • that story strain s my credulity
  23. to squeeze out : extort
  24. to make violent efforts : strive
    • has to strain to reach the high notes
  25. to pull against resistance
    • a dog strain ing at its leash
  26. to contract the muscles forcefully in attempting to defecate often used in the phrase strain at stool
  27. to pass through or as if through a strainer
    • the liquid strain s readily
  28. to make great difficulty or resistance : balk
  29. : an act of straining or the condition of being strained: as
  30. bodily injury from excessive tension, effort, or use
    • heart strain
  31. one resulting from a wrench or twist and involving undue stretching of muscles or ligaments
    • back strain
  32. excessive or difficult exertion or labor
  33. excessive physical or mental tension
  34. a force, influence, or factor causing such tension
    • a strain on the marriage
  35. deformation of a material body under the action of applied forces
  36. an unusual reach, degree, or intensity : pitch
  37. a strained interpretation of something said or written

strained ['strānd] -adj

  1. done or produced with excessive effort
  2. pushed by antagonism near to open conflict
    • strained relations

strain·er ['strā-nər] -n

  1. : one that strains: as
  2. a device (as a sieve) to retain solid pieces while a liquid passes through
  3. any of various devices for stretching or tightening something

strain gauge -n

  1. extensometer

strait ['strāt] -adj, adv, n

  1. strict, rigorous
  2. narrow
  3. limited in space or time
  4. closely fitting : constricted, tight
  5. causing distress : difficult
  6. limited as to means or resources
  7. in a close or tight manner
  8. a narrow space or passage
  9. a comparatively narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water often used in pl. but sing. in constr.
  10. isthmus
  11. a situation of perplexity or distress often used in pl.
    • in dire strait s

strait·en ['strā-tᵊn] -vt

  1. to make strait or narrow
  2. to hem in : confine
  3. to restrict in freedom or scope : hamper
  4. to subject to distress, privation, or deficiency
    • in straiten ed circumstances

strait·jack·et ['strāt-,ja-kət] -n

  1. a cover or overgarment of strong material (as canvas) used to bind the body and esp. the arms closely in restraining a violent prisoner or patient
  2. something that restricts or confines like a straitjacket

straitjacket -vt

  1. to confine in or as if in a straitjacket

strait·laced ['strāt-'lāst] -adj, adv, n

  1. excessively strict in manners, morals, or opinion
  2. wearing or having a bodice or stays tightly laced

Straits dollar ['strāts-] -n

  1. a dollar formerly issued by British Malaya and used in much of southern and eastern Asia and the East Indies

strake ['strāk] -n

  1. a continuous band of hull planking or plates on a ship
  2. the width of such a band
  3. streak, stripe

stra·mash [strə-'mash] -n

  1. disturbance, racket
  2. crash, smashup

stra·mo·ni·um [strə-'mō-nē-əm] -n

  1. the dried leaves of the jimsonweed or of a related plant (genus Datura) that contain toxic alkaloids (as atropine) used in medicine
  2. jimsonweed

strand ['strand] -n

  1. the land bordering a body of water : shore, beach
  2. to run, drive, or cause to drift onto a strand : run aground
  3. to leave in a strange or an unfavorable place esp. without funds or means to depart
  4. to leave (a base runner) on base at the end of an inning in baseball
  5. to become stranded
  6. stream
  7. sea
  8. fibers or filaments twisted, plaited, or laid parallel to form a unit for further twisting or plaiting into yarn, thread, rope, or cordage
  9. one of the wires twisted together or laid parallel to form a wire rope or cable
  10. something (as a molecular chain) resembling a strand
    • a strand of DNA
  11. an element (as a yarn or thread) of a woven or plaited material
  12. an elongated or twisted and plaited body resembling a rope
    • a strand of pearls
  13. one of the elements interwoven in a complex whole
    • one strand of the novel's plot
  14. to break a strand of (a rope) accidentally
  15. to form (as a rope) from strands
  16. to play out, twist, or arrange in a strand

strand·ed ['stran-dəd] -adj, n

  1. having a strand or strands esp. of a specified kind or number usu. used in combination
    • double- stranded DNA

strand·line ['stran(d)-,līn] -n

  1. shoreline
  2. a shoreline above the present water level

strange ['strānj] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of another country : foreign
  2. not native to or naturally belonging in a place : of external origin, kind, or character
  3. not before known, heard, or seen : unfamiliar
  4. exciting wonder or awe : extraordinary
  5. discouraging familiarities : reserved, distant
  6. ill at ease
  7. unaccustomed
    • she was strange to his ways
  8. a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of and a measured energy of approximately 150 MeV
  9. the flavor characterizing this particle

strange·ness ['strānj-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being strange
  2. the flavor characterizing a strange quark

strang·er ['strān-jər] -n

  1. : one who is strange: as
  2. foreigner
  3. a resident alien
  4. one in the house of another as a guest, visitor, or intruder
  5. a person or thing that is unknown or with whom one is unacquainted
  6. one who does not belong to or is kept from the activities of a group
  7. one not privy or party to an act, contract, or title : one that interferes without right
  8. one ignorant of or unacquainted with someone or something

stranger -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a stranger : foreign
  2. estrange, alienate

strange woman -n

  1. prostitute

stran·gle ['straŋ-gəl] -vb, n

  1. to choke to death by compressing the throat with something (as a hand or rope) : throttle
  2. to obstruct seriously or fatally the normal breathing of
  3. stifle
  4. to suppress or hinder the rise, expression, or growth of
    • repression strangle s free speech
  5. to become strangled
  6. to die from or as if from interference with breathing

stran·gle·hold ['straŋ-gəl-,hōld] -n

  1. an illegal wrestling hold by which one's opponent is choked
  2. a force or influence that chokes or suppresses freedom of movement or expression

strangler fig -n

  1. any of several figs (as Ficus aureaof the southeastern U.S.) that start as epiphytes but send down roots to the ground around the host tree
  2. any of various epiphytic vines or trees (as Clusia roseasyn. C. major) of similar habit

stran·gles ['straŋ-gəlz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. an infectious febrile disease of horses caused by a streptococcus ( Streptococcus equi) and marked esp. by inflammation and congestion of mucous membranes of the respiratory tract

stran·gu·late ['straŋ-gyə-,lāt] -vb

  1. strangle, constrict
  2. to become constricted so as to stop circulation
    • the hernia will strangulate

stran·gu·la·tion [,straŋ-gyə-'lā-shən] -n

  1. the action or process of strangling or strangulating
  2. the state of being strangled or strangulated
  3. excessive or pathological constriction or compression of a bodily tube (as a blood vessel or a loop of intestine) that interrupts its ability to act as a passage

stran·gu·ry ['straŋ-gyə-rē, -,gyu̇r-ē] -n

  1. a slow and painful spasmodic discharge of urine drop by drop

strap ['strap] -n, adj

  1. a narrow usu. flat strip or thong of a flexible material and esp. leather used for securing, holding together, or wrapping
  2. something made of a strap forming a loop
    • a boot strap
  3. a strip of leather used for flogging
  4. strop
  5. a band, plate, or loop of metal for binding objects together or for clamping an object in position
  6. a shoe fastened with a usu. buckled strap
  7. trollop
  8. to secure with or attach by means of a strap
  9. to support (as a sprained joint) with overlapping strips of adhesive plaster
  10. bind, constrict
  11. to beat or punish with a strap
  12. strop
  13. to cause to suffer from an extreme scarcity
    • is often strapped for cash

strap·hang·er ['strap-,haŋ-ər] -n, vi

  1. a standing passenger in a subway, streetcar, bus, or train who clings for support to one of the short straps or similar devices placed along the aisle

strap·less [-ləs] -adj, n

  1. having no strap
  2. made or worn without shoulder straps
    • a strapless evening gown

strap·pa·do [stra-'pā-(,)dō, -'pä-] -n

  1. a punishment or torture in which the subject is hoisted by rope and allowed to fall its full length
  2. a machine used to inflict this torture

strap·per ['stra-pər] -n

  1. one that is unusually large or robust

strapping -adj

  1. having a vigorously sturdy constitution
  2. material for a strap
  3. straps

strass ['stras] -n

  1. paste

strat·a·gem ['stra-tə-jəm, -,jem] -n

  1. an artifice or trick in war for deceiving and outwitting the enemy
  2. a cleverly contrived trick or scheme for gaining an end
  3. skill in ruses or trickery

stra·te·gic [strə-'tē-jik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or marked by strategy
    • a strategic retreat
  2. necessary to or important in the initiation, conduct, or completion of a strategic plan
  3. required for the conduct of war and not available in adequate quantities domestically
    • strategic materials
  4. of great importance within an integrated whole or to a planned effect
    • emphasized strategic points
  5. designed or trained to strike an enemy at the sources of its military, economic, or political power
    • a strategic bomber

strat·e·gist ['stra-tə-jist] -n

  1. a person skilled in strategy

strat·e·gize [-,jīz] -vi

  1. to devise a strategy or course of action

strat·e·gy [-jē] -n

  1. the science and art of employing the political, economic, psychological, and military forces of a nation or group of nations to afford the maximum support to adopted policies in peace or war
  2. the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under advantageous conditions
  3. a variety of or instance of the use of strategy
  4. a careful plan or method : a clever stratagem
  5. the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal
  6. an adaptation or complex of adaptations (as of behavior, metabolism, or structure) that serves or appears to serve an important function in achieving evolutionary success
    • foraging strategies of insects

strath ['strath] -n

  1. a flat wide river valley or the low-lying grassland along it

strath·spey [,strath-'spā] -n

  1. a Scottish dance that is similar to but slower than the reel
  2. the music for this dance

strati- -comb form

  1. stratum
    • strati form

strat·i·fi·ca·tion [,stra-tə-fə-'kā-shən] -n

  1. the act or process of stratifying
  2. the state of being stratified
  3. a stratified formation

strat·i·fi·ca·tion·al grammar [,stra-tə-fə-'kā-shnəl-, -shə-nᵊl-] -n

  1. a grammar based on the theory that language consists of a series of hierarchically related strata linked together by representational rules

stratified charge engine -n

  1. an internal-combustion engine in whose cylinders the combustion of fuel in a layer of rich fuel-air mixture promotes ignition in a greater volume of lean mixture

strat·i·form ['stra-tə-,fȯrm] -adj

  1. having a stratified formation

strat·i·fy ['stra-tə-,fī] -vb

  1. to form, deposit, or arrange in strata
  2. to divide or arrange into classes, castes, or social strata
  3. to divide into a series of graded statuses
  4. to become arranged in strata

strat·i·graph·ic [,stra-tə-'gra-fik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or determined by stratigraphy

stra·tig·ra·phy [strə-'ti-grə-fē] -n

  1. geology that deals with the origin, composition, distribution, and succession of strata
  2. the arrangement of strata

strato- -comb form

  1. stratus and
    • strato cumulus

stra·to·cu·mu·lus [,strā-tō-'kyü-myə-ləs, ,stra-] -n

  1. stratified low cumulus consisting of large balls or rolls of dark cloud which often cover the whole sky esp. in winter

strato·sphere ['stra-tə-,sfir] -n, adj, adv

  1. the part of the earth's atmosphere which extends from the top of the troposphere to about 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface and in which temperature increases gradually to about 32 F (0 C) and clouds rarely form
  2. a very high or the highest region on or as if on a graded scale
    • construction costs in the stratosphere
    • the celebrity stratosphere

stra·to·vol·ca·no [,stra-tō-väl-'kā-(,)nō, ,strā-, -vȯl-] -n

  1. a volcano composed of explosively erupted cinders and ash with occasional lava flows

stra·tum ['strā-təm, 'stra-] -n

  1. a bed or layer artificially made
  2. a sheetlike mass of sedimentary rock or earth of one kind lying between beds of other kinds
  3. a region of the sea or atmosphere that is analogous to a stratum of the earth
  4. a layer of tissue
    • deep stratum of the skin
  5. a layer in which archaeological material (as artifacts, skeletons, and dwelling remains) is found on excavation
  6. a part of a historical or sociological series representing a period or a stage of development
  7. a socioeconomic level of society comprising persons of the same or similar status esp. with regard to education or culture
  8. one of a series of layers, levels, or gradations in an ordered system
    • strata of thought
  9. a statistical subpopulation

stratum cor·ne·um [-'kȯr-nē-əm] -n

  1. the outer part of the epidermis consisting chiefly of layers of dead flattened nonnucleated cells filled with keratin

stra·tus ['strā-təs, 'stra-] -n

  1. a low cloud form extending over a large area at altitudes of usu. 2000 to 7000 feet (600 to 2100 meters)

stra·vage [strə-'vāg] -vi

  1. roam

straw ['strȯ] -n, adj

  1. stalks of grain after threshing
  2. dry stalky plant residue used like grain straw (as for bedding or packing)
  3. a natural or artificial heavy fiber used for weaving, plaiting, or braiding
  4. a dry coarse stem esp. of a cereal grass
  5. something of small worth or significance
  6. something too insubstantial to provide support or help in a desperate situation
    • clutching at straw s
  7. chaff
  8. something (as a hat) made of straw
  9. a tube (as of paper, plastic, or glass) for sucking up a beverage
  10. made of straw
    • a straw hat
  11. of, relating to, or used for straw
    • a straw barn
  12. of the color of straw
    • straw hair
  13. of little or no value : worthless
  14. of, relating to, resembling, or being a straw man
  15. of, relating to, or concerned with the discovery of preferences by means of a straw vote

straw·ber·ry ['strȯ-,ber-ē, -b(ə-)rē] -n

  1. the juicy edible usu. red fruit of any of several low-growing temperate herbs (genus Fragaria) of the rose family that is technically an enlarged pulpy receptacle bearing numerous achenes on its surface
  2. a plant whose fruits are strawberries
  3. a hybrid ( Fragaria ananassa) that is the source of most cultivated strawberries

strawberry blonde -n

  1. a person having reddish-blond hair
  2. a reddish-blond color
  3. of a reddish-blond color
  4. having reddish-blond hair
    • a strawberry blond child
    spelled blond when used of a boy or man and usu. blonde when used of a girl or woman

strawberry bush -n

  1. a shrubby spindle tree ( Euonymus americanus) of the eastern U.S. with crimson pods and seeds with a scarlet aril
  2. wahoo

strawberry mark -n

  1. a hemangioma appearing usu. as a red and elevated birthmark

strawberry roan -n

  1. a roan horse with a light red base color

strawberry tomato -n

  1. ground-cherry
  2. a stout hairy annual herb ( Physalis pruinosa) of eastern No. America with sweet globular yellow fruits

strawberry tree -n

  1. a small European evergreen tree ( Arbutus unedo) of the heath family with racemose white flowers and fruits resembling strawberries

straw boss -n

  1. an assistant to a foreman in charge of supervising and expediting the work of a small group of workers
  2. a member of a group of workers who supervises the work of the others in addition to doing his or her own job

straw·flow·er ['strȯ-,flau̇(-ə)r] -n

  1. any of several plants having everlasting flowers
  2. an Australian composite herb ( Helichrysum bracteatum) widely cultivated for its brightly colored flower heads in which papery bracts resembling ray flowers surround a central disk

straw·hat ['strȯ-'hat] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being summer theater

straw man -n

  1. a weak or imaginary opposition (as an argument or adversary) set up only to be easily confuted
  2. a person set up to serve as a cover for a usu. questionable transaction

straw mushroom -n

  1. a mushroom ( Volvariella volvacea) that has a conical cap and is cultivated in southeastern Asia and used esp. in Chinese cooking

straw vote -n

  1. an unofficial vote taken (as at a chance gathering) to indicate the relative strength of opposing candidates or issues called also straw poll

straw wine -n

  1. a sweet wine produced by partially drying the grapes on beds of straw prior to vinification

straw yellow -n

  1. a pale yellow

stray ['strā] -n

  1. a domestic animal that is wandering at large or is lost
  2. a person or thing that strays
  3. the act of going astray
  4. : wander: as
  5. to wander from company, restraint, or proper limits
  6. to roam about without fixed direction or purpose
  7. to move in a winding course : meander
  8. to move without conscious or intentional effort
    • eyes stray ing absently around the room
  9. to become distracted from an argument or train of thought
    • stray ed from the point
  10. to wander accidentally from a fixed or chosen route
  11. err, sin
  12. having strayed or escaped from a proper or intended place
    • a stray dog
    • hit by a stray bullet
    • fixed a few stray hairs
  13. occurring at random or sporadically
    • a few stray thoughts
  14. not serving any useful purpose : unwanted
    • stray light

streak ['strēk] -n

  1. a line or mark of a different color or texture from the ground : stripe
  2. the color of the fine powder of a mineral obtained by scratching or rubbing against a hard white surface and constituting an important distinguishing character
  3. inoculum implanted in a line on a solid medium
  4. any of numerous virus diseases of plants (as tobacco and maize) resembling mosaic but usu. producing at least some linear markings
  5. a narrow band of light
  6. a lightning bolt
  7. a slight admixture : trace
    • had a mean streak in him
  8. a brief run (as of luck)
  9. a consecutive series
    • was on a winning streak
  10. a narrow layer (as of fat)
  11. an act or instance of streaking
  12. to make streaks on or in
    • tears streak ing her face
  13. to move swiftly : rush
    • a jet streak ing across the sky
  14. to have a streak (as of winning or outstanding performances)
  15. to run naked through a public place

streak camera -n

  1. a camera for recording very fast or short-lived phenomena (as fluorescence or shock waves)

streaked ['strēkt, 'strē-kəd] -adj

  1. marked with stripes or linear discolorations
  2. physically or mentally disturbed : upset

streak·ing ['strē-kiŋ] -n

  1. the lightening (as by chemicals) of a few long strands of hair to produce a streaked effect

streaky ['strē-kē] -adj, n

  1. marked with streaks
    • streaky bacon
  2. apprehensive
    • nervous and streaky
  3. apt to vary (as in effectiveness) : unreliable

stream ['strēm] -n

  1. a body of running water (as a river or brook) flowing on the earth
  2. any body of flowing fluid (as water or gas)
  3. a steady succession (as of words or events)
    • kept up an endless stream of chatter
  4. a constantly renewed or steady supply
    • a stream of revenue
  5. a continuous moving procession
    • a stream of traffic
  6. an unbroken flow (as of gas or particles of matter)
  7. a ray of light
  8. a prevailing attitude or group
    • has always run against the stream of current fashion
  9. a dominant influence or line of development
    • the influence of two stream s of inheritance: genetic and cultural -- P. B. Baltes
  10. track
  11. to flow in or as if in a stream
  12. to leave a bright trail
    • a meteor stream ed through the sky
  13. to exude a bodily fluid profusely
    • her eyes were stream ing
  14. to become wet with a discharge of bodily fluid
    • stream ing with perspiration
  15. to trail out at full length
    • her hair stream ing back as she ran
  16. to pour in large numbers
    • complaints came stream ing in
  17. to emit freely or in a stream
    • his eyes stream ed tears
  18. to display (as a flag) by waving

stream·bed ['strēm-,bed] -n

  1. the channel occupied or formerly occupied by a stream

stream·er ['strē-mər] -n

  1. a flag that streams in the wind
  2. pennant
  3. any long narrow wavy strip resembling or suggesting a banner floating in the wind
  4. banner
  5. a long extension of the solar corona visible only during a total solar eclipse
  6. aurora borealis

stream·ing ['strē-miŋ] -n

  1. an act or instance of flowing
  2. cyclosis
  3. tracking

streaming -adj

  1. relating to or being the transfer of data (as audio or video material) in a continuous stream esp. for immediate processing or playback

stream·let ['strēm-lət] -n

  1. a small stream

stream·line ['strēm-,līn] -n

  1. the path of a particle in a fluid relative to a solid body past which the fluid is moving in smooth flow without turbulence
  2. a contour designed to minimize resistance to motion through a fluid (as air)
  3. a smooth or flowing line designed as if for decreasing air resistance

streamline -vt

  1. to design or construct with a streamline
  2. to bring up to date : modernize
  3. to put in order : organize
  4. to make simpler or more efficient
    • a system that streamline s the process

stream·lined [-,līnd] -adj

  1. contoured to reduce resistance to motion through a fluid (as air)
  2. stripped of nonessentials : compact
  3. effectively integrated : organized
  4. having flowing lines
  5. brought up to date : modernized

stream·lin·er ['strēm-,lī-nər] -n

  1. one that is streamlined
  2. a streamlined train

stream of consciousness

  1. the continuous unedited chronological flow of conscious experience through the mind
  2. interior monologue

stream·side ['strēm-,sīd] -n

  1. the land bordering on a stream

streek ['strēk] -vt

  1. stretch, extend
  2. to lay out (a dead body)

streel ['strēl] -vi

  1. to saunter idly and aimlessly
  2. to trail or float in the manner of a streamer
  3. an untidy slovenly person

street ['strēt] -n

  1. a thoroughfare esp. in a city, town, or village that is wider than an alley or lane and that usu. includes sidewalks
  2. the part of a street reserved for vehicles
  3. a thoroughfare with abutting property
    • lives on a fashionable street
  4. the people occupying property on a street
    • the whole street knew about the accident
  5. a promising line of development or a channeling of effort
    • a crafty politician working both sides of the street
    • success through compromise is a two-way street
  6. a district (as Wall Street or Fleet Street) identified with a particular profession
  7. the people who work in such a district
    • doing better than the Street expected
  8. an environment (as in a depressed neighborhood or section of a city) of poverty, dereliction, or crime
    • grew up on the mean street s
  9. : of or relating to the streets: as
  10. adjoining or giving access to a street
    • the street door
  11. carried on or taking place in the street
    • street fighting
  12. living or working on the streets
    • a street peddler
    • street people
  13. located in, used for, or serving as a guide to the streets
    • a street map
  14. performing in or heard on the street
    • a street band
  15. suitable for wear or use on the street
    • street clothes
  16. not touching the ground used of a woman's dress in lengths reaching the knee, calf, or ankle
  17. of, relating to, or characteristic of the street environment
    • street drugs
    • used...his new street cred to develop contacts -- Dale Keiger
  18. retail
    • the street price

street·car ['strēt-,kär] -n

  1. a vehicle on rails used primarily for transporting passengers and typically operating on city streets

street fighter -n

  1. a tough belligerent person
    • a political street fighter

street hockey -n

  1. a game resembling ice hockey played on a hard surface by players wearing shoes or roller skates and using hockey sticks and a small ball

street·light [-,līt] -n

  1. a light usu. mounted on a pole and constituting one of a series spaced at intervals along a public street or highway called also streetlamp

street railway -n

  1. a line operating streetcars or buses

streets ['strēts] -adv

  1. by a considerable margin
    • a nice woman, streets above these other callers -- Katherine Mansfield

street·scape ['strēt-,skāp] -n

  1. the appearance or view of a street
  2. a work of art depicting a view of a street

streetsmart [-,smärt] -adj

  1. streetwise

street smarts -n pl

  1. the quality of being streetwise

street theater -n

  1. drama dealing with controversial social and political issues that is usu. performed outdoors

street·walk·er ['strēt-,wȯ-kər] -n

  1. prostitute
  2. one who solicits in the streets

street·wise [-,wīz] -adj

  1. possessing the skills and attitudes necessary to survive in a difficult or dangerous situation or environment

strength ['streŋ(k)th, 'stren(t)th] -n

  1. the quality or state of being strong : capacity for exertion or endurance
  2. power to resist force : solidity, toughness
  3. power of resisting attack : impregnability
  4. legal, logical, or moral force
  5. a strong attribute or inherent asset
    • the strength s and the weaknesses of the book are evident
  6. degree of potency of effect or of concentration
    • chili peppers in varying strength s
  7. intensity of light, color, sound, or odor
  8. vigor of expression
  9. force as measured in numbers : effective numbers of any body or organization
    • an army at full strength
  10. one regarded as embodying or affording force or firmness : support
    • you are my love and my strength
  11. maintenance of or a rising tendency in a price level : firmness of prices
    • the strength of the dollar
  12. basis used in the phrase on the strength of

strength·en ['streŋ(k)-thən, 'stren(t)-] -vb, n

  1. to make stronger
  2. to become stronger

stren·u·ous ['stren-yə-wəs] -adj, n, adv

  1. vigorously active : energetic
  2. fervent, zealous
    • the proposal's most strenuous supporters
  3. marked by or calling for energy or stamina : arduous
    • a strenuous hike

strep ['strep] -n

  1. streptococcus

strep throat -n

  1. an inflammatory sore throat caused by hemolytic Group A streptococci and marked by fever, prostration, and toxemia called also septic sore throat

strepto- -comb form

  1. twisted : twisted chain
    • strepto coccus
  2. streptococcus
    • strepto kinase

strep·to·ba·cil·lus [,strep-tō-bə-'si-ləs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Streptobacillus) of nonmotile gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria in which the individual cells are often joined in a chain
  2. one ( S. moniliformis) that is the causative agent of one form of rat-bite fever

strep·to·car·pus [,strep-tə-'kär-pəs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Streptocarpus) of usu. stemless African gesneriads that have showy brightly colored flowers with funnel-shaped corollas

strep·to·coc·cal [,strep-tə-'kä-kəl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, caused by, or being streptococci
    • a streptococcal sore throat
    • streptococcal organisms

strep·to·coc·cus [-'kä-kəs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Streptococcus) of spherical or ovoid chiefly nonmotile and parasitic gram-positive bacteria that divide only in one plane, occur in pairs or chains, and include important pathogens of humans and domestic animals
  2. a coccus occurring in chains

strep·to·ki·nase [,strep-tō-'kī-,nās, -,nāz] -n

  1. a proteolytic enzyme produced by hemolytic streptococci that promotes the dissolution of blood clots by activating plasminogen to produce plasmin

strep·to·ly·sin [,strep-tə-'lī-sᵊn] -n

  1. an antigenic hemolysin produced by streptococci

strep·to·my·ces [-'mī-,sēz] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Streptomyces) of mostly soil streptomycetes including some that form antibiotics as by-products of their metabolism

strep·to·my·cete [-'mī-,sēt, -,mī-'sēt] -n

  1. any of a family (Streptomycetaceae) of actinomycetes (as a streptomyces) that form vegetative mycelia which rarely break up into bacillary forms, have conidia borne on sporophores, and are typically aerobic soil saprophytes but include a few parasites of plants and animals

strep·to·my·cin [-'mī-sᵊn] -n

  1. an antibiotic organic base C 21H 39N 7O 12that is produced by a soil actinomycete ( Streptomyces griseus), is active against many bacteria, and is used esp. in the treatment of infections (as tuberculosis) by gram-negative bacteria

strep·to·thri·cin [-'thrī-sᵊn, -'thri-] -n

  1. any of a group of related basic antibiotics produced by a streptomyces ( Streptomyces lavendulae) and active esp. against bacteria

stress ['stres] -n

  1. : constraining force or influence: as
  2. a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part
  3. the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch
  4. the deformation caused in a body by such a force
  5. a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation
  6. a state resulting from a stress
  7. one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium
    • job-related stress
  8. strain, pressure
    • the environment is under stress to the point of collapse -- Joseph Shoben
  9. emphasis, weight
    • lay stress on a point
  10. intense effort or exertion
  11. intensity of utterance given to a speech sound, syllable, or word producing relative loudness
  12. relative force or prominence of sound in verse
  13. a syllable having relative force or prominence
  14. accent
  15. to subject to physical or psychological stress
    • stress ing the equipment
    • this traffic is stress ing me out
  16. to subject to phonetic stress : accent
  17. to lay stress on : emphasize
    • stress ed the importance of teamwork
  18. to feel stress
    • stress ing about the big exam
    often used with out

stressed ['strest] -adj

  1. stressed-out
    • feeling stressed about work

stressedout ['strest-'au̇t] -adj

  1. suffering from high levels of physical or esp. psychological stress

stress fracture -n

  1. a usu. hairline fracture of a bone that has been subjected to repeated stress

stress·ful ['stres-fəl] -adj, adv

  1. full of or tending to induce stress

stress incontinence -n

  1. involuntary leakage of urine from the bladder accompanying physical activity (as laughing or coughing) which places increased pressure on the abdomen

stress·less [-ləs] -adj, n

  1. having no stress
  2. having no accent
    • a stressless syllable

stress mark -n

  1. a mark used with (as before, after, or over) a written syllable in the respelling of a word to show that this syllable is to be stressed when spoken : accent mark

stress·or ['stre-sər, -,sȯr] -n

  1. a stimulus that causes stress

stress test -n

  1. an electrocardiographic test of heart function before, during, and after a controlled period of increasingly strenuous exercise (as on a treadmill)

stretch ['strech] -vb, n, adj

  1. to extend (as one's limbs or body) in a reclining position
  2. to reach out : extend
    • stretch ed out her arms
  3. to extend in length
    • stretch ed his neck to see what was going on
  4. to fell with or as if with a blow
  5. to cause the limbs of (a person) to be pulled esp. in torture
  6. to draw up (one's body) from a cramped, stooping, or relaxed position
  7. to pull taut
    • canvas stretch ed on a frame
  8. to enlarge or distend esp. by force
  9. to extend or expand as if by physical force
    • stretch one's mind with a good book
  10. strain
    • stretch ed his already thin patience
  11. to cause to reach or continue (as from one point to another or across a space)
    • stretch a wire between two posts
  12. to amplify or enlarge beyond natural or proper limits
    • the rules can be stretch ed this once
  13. to expand (as by improvisation) to fulfill a larger function
    • stretch ing a dollar
  14. to extend (a hit) to an extra base usu. by fast or daring running
    • stretch a single into a double
  15. to become extended in length or breadth or both : spread
    • broad plains stretch ing to the sea
  16. to extend over a continuous period
    • the dynasty stretch es back several centuries
  17. to become extended without breaking
  18. to extend one's body or limbs
    • stretch ed before jogging
    • wanted to stretch out on the sofa
  19. to lie down at full length
  20. an exercise of something (as the understanding or the imagination) beyond ordinary or normal limits
    • their conclusion seemed like a bit of a stretch
  21. an extension of the scope or application of something
    • a stretch of language
  22. the extent to which something may be stretched
  23. the act of stretching : the state of being stretched
    • a good stretch for legs
  24. the position of a pitcher standing sideways to home plate so as to keep a runner close to a base
    • pitching from the stretch
  25. an extent in length or area
    • an open stretch of road
  26. a continuous period of time
    • can write for eight hours at a stretch
  27. a walk to relieve fatigue
  28. a term of imprisonment
    • served a 10-year stretch
  29. either of the straight sides of a racecourse
  30. homestretch
  31. a final stage (as of a contest or season)
    • won some crucial games down the stretch
  32. the capacity for being stretched : elasticity
    • a waistband with lots of stretch
  33. a stretch limousine
  34. easily stretched : elastic
    • a stretch wig
  35. longer than the standard size
    • a stretch limousine

stretch·er ['stre-chər] -n

  1. one that stretches
  2. a device or machine for stretching or expanding something
  3. an exaggerated story : a tall tale
  4. a brick or stone laid with its length parallel to the face of the wall
  5. a timber or rod used esp. when horizontal as a tie in framed work
  6. a device for carrying a sick, injured, or dead person
  7. a rod or bar extending between two legs of a chair or table

stretcher -vt

  1. to carry or transport on a stretcher

stretch marks -n pl

  1. striae on the skin (as of the hips, abdomen, and breasts) from excessive stretching and rupture of elastic fibers esp. due to pregnancy or obesity

stretchout ['strech-,au̇t] -n

  1. a system of industrial operation in which workers are required to do extra work with slight or with no additional pay
  2. the act of stretching out : the state of being stretched out
  3. : an economizing measure that spreads a limited quantity over a larger field than orig. intended: as
  4. a slackening of production schedules so that a quantity of goods will be produced over a longer period than initially planned
  5. a restructuring of a loan repayment schedule over an extended period of time

stretch receptor -n

  1. muscle spindle

stretch runner -n

  1. a racehorse that makes a strong bid in the homestretch

stret·to ['stre-(,)tō] -n

  1. the overlapping of answer with subject in a musical fugue
  2. the part of a fugue characterized by this overlapping
  3. a concluding passage performed in a quicker tempo

streu·sel ['strü-səl, -zəl, 'strȯi-, 'shtrȯi-] -n

  1. a crumbly mixture of fat, sugar, and flour and sometimes nuts and spices that is used as topping or filling for cake

strew ['strü] -vt

  1. to spread by scattering
  2. to cover by or as if by scattering something
    • strew ing the highways with litter
  3. to become dispersed over as if scattered
  4. to spread abroad : disseminate

strew·ment ['strü-mənt] -n

  1. something (as flowers) strewed or designed for strewing

stria ['strī-ə] -n

  1. striation
  2. a stripe or line (as in the skin) distinguished from the surrounding area by color, texture, or elevation

stri·ate ['strī-,āt] -vt

  1. to mark with striations or striae
  2. striated

stri·at·ed ['strī-,ā-təd] -adj

  1. marked with striations or striae
  2. of, relating to, or being striated muscle

striated muscle -n

  1. muscle tissue that is marked by transverse dark and light bands, is made up of elongated usu. multinucleated fibers, and includes skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and most muscle of arthropods

stri·a·tion [strī-'ā-shən] -n

  1. the fact or state of being striated
  2. arrangement of striations or striae
  3. a minute groove, scratch, or channel esp. when one of a parallel series
  4. any of the alternate dark and light cross bands of a myofibril of striated muscle

stri·a·tum [strī-'ā-təm] -n

  1. corpus striatum
  2. the part of the corpus striatum consisting of the caudate nucleus and putamen

strick·en ['stri-kən] -adj

  1. afflicted or overwhelmed by or as if by disease, misfortune, or sorrow
  2. made incapable or unfit
    • rescuers were sent to the stricken ship
  3. hit or wounded by or as if by a missile
    • the deer had been stricken by an arrow

strict ['strikt] -adj, adv, n

  1. tight, close
  2. intimate
  3. narrow
  4. stringent in requirement or control
    • under strict orders
  5. severe in discipline
    • a strict teacher
  6. inflexibly maintained or adhered to
    • strict secrecy
  7. rigorously conforming to principle or a norm or condition
  8. exact, precise
    • in the strict sense of the word
  9. of narrow erect habit of growth
    • a strict inflorescence

strict liability -n

  1. liability imposed without regard to fault

stric·ture ['strik-chər] -n

  1. an abnormal narrowing of a bodily passage
  2. the narrowed part
  3. a constriction of the breath passage in the production of a speech sound
  4. something that closely restrains or limits : restriction
    • moral stricture s
  5. an adverse criticism : censure

stride ['strīd] -vb, n

  1. to stand astride
  2. to move with or as if with long steps
    • strode across the room
  3. to take a very long step
  4. bestride, straddle
  5. to step over
  6. to move over or along with or as if with long measured steps
    • striding the boardwalk
  7. a cycle of locomotor movements (as of a horse) completed when the feet regain the initial relative positions
  8. the distance traversed in a stride
  9. the most effective natural pace : maximum competence or capability often used in the phrase hit one's stride
  10. a long step
  11. an act of striding
  12. a stage of progress : advance
    • made great stride s toward their goal
  13. a manner of striding
  14. stride piano

stri·dence ['strī-dᵊn(t)s] -n

  1. stridency

stri·den·cy ['strī-dᵊn(t)-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being strident

stri·dent ['strī-dᵊnt] -adj, adv

  1. characterized by harsh, insistent, and discordant sound
    • a strident voice
  2. commanding attention by a loud or obtrusive quality
    • strident slogans

stride piano -n

  1. a style of jazz piano playing in which the right hand plays the melody while the left hand alternates between a single note and a chord played an octave or more higher

stri·dor ['strī-dər, -,dȯr] -n

  1. a harsh, shrill, or creaking noise
  2. a harsh vibrating sound heard during respiration in cases of obstruction of the air passages

strid·u·late ['stri-jə-,lāt] -vi, n, adj

  1. to make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing together special bodily structures used esp. of male insects (as crickets or grasshoppers)

strid·u·lous ['stri-jə-ləs] -adj, adv

  1. making a shrill creaking sound

strife ['strīf] -n, adj

  1. bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension
    • political strife
  2. an act of contention : fight, struggle
  3. exertion or contention for superiority
  4. earnest endeavor

strig·il ['stri-jəl] -n

  1. an instrument used by ancient Greeks and Romans for scraping moisture off the skin after bathing or exercising

stri·gose ['strī-,gōs] -adj

  1. having appressed bristles or scales
    • a strigose leaf

strike ['strīk] -vb

  1. to take a course : go
    • struck off through the brush
  2. to aim and usu. deliver a blow, stroke, or thrust (as with the hand, a weapon, or a tool)
  3. to arrive with detrimental effect
    • disaster struck
  4. to attempt to undermine or harm something as if by a blow
    • struck at...cherished notions -- R. P. Warren
  5. to come into contact forcefully
    • two ships struck in mid channel
  6. to delete something
  7. to lower a flag usu. in surrender
  8. to become indicated by a clock, bell, or chime
    • the hour had just struck
  9. to make known the time by sounding
    • the clock struck as they entered
  10. pierce, penetrate
    • the wind seemed to strike through our clothes
  11. to engage in battle
  12. to make a military attack
  13. to become ignited
    • the match struck
  14. to discover something
    • struck on a new plan of attack
  15. to pull on a fishing rod in order to set the hook
  16. to seize the bait
  17. dart, shoot
  18. to take root
  19. germinate
  20. to make an impression
  21. to stop work in order to force an employer to comply with demands
  22. to make a beginning
    • the need to strike vigorously for success
  23. to thrust oneself forward
    • he struck into the midst of the argument
  24. to work diligently : strive
  25. to strike at : hit
  26. to drive or remove by or as if by a blow
  27. to attack or seize with a sharp blow (as of fangs or claws)
    • struck by a snake
  28. inflict
    • strike a blow
  29. to produce by or as if by a blow or stroke
    • Moses struck water from the rock
  30. to separate by a sharp blow
    • strike off flints
  31. to haul down : lower
    • strike the sails
  32. to dismantle and take away
    • strike the set
  33. to strike the tents of (a camp)
  34. to afflict suddenly
    • stricken by a heart attack
  35. to engage in (a battle) : fight
  36. to make a military attack on
  37. delete, cancel
    • strike the last paragraph
  38. to penetrate painfully : pierce
  39. to cause to penetrate
    • strike the needle
  40. to send down or out
    • trees struck roots deep into the soil
  41. to level (as a measure of grain) by scraping off what is above the rim
  42. to smooth or form (as a mold) with a tool
  43. to indicate by sounding
    • the clock struck one
  44. to bring into forceful contact
    • struck his head on the doorjamb
  45. to shake (hands) in confirming an agreement
  46. to thrust suddenly
  47. to come into contact or collision with
    • the car struck the tree
  48. to fall on
  49. to become audible to
  50. to affect with a mental or emotional state or a strong emotion
    • struck with horror at the sight
  51. to affect a person with (a strong emotion)
    • words that struck fear in the listeners
  52. to cause to become by or as if by a sudden blow
    • struck him dead
  53. to produce by stamping
    • strike a coin
  54. to produce (as fire) by or as if by striking
  55. to cause to ignite by friction
    • strike a match
  56. to make and ratify the terms of
    • strike a bargain
  57. to play or produce by stroking keys or strings
    • struck a series of chords on the piano
  58. to produce as if by playing an instrument
    • his voice struck a note of concern
  59. to hook (a fish) by a sharp pull on the line
  60. to snatch at (a bait)
  61. to occur to
    • the answer struck me suddenly
  62. to appear to esp. as a revelation or as remarkable : impress
    • it struck the crowd as insensitive
  63. bewitch
  64. to arrive at by or as if by computation
    • strike a balance
  65. to come to : attain
  66. to come upon : discover
    • strike gold
  67. to engage in a strike against (an employer)
  68. take on, assume
    • strike a pose
  69. to place (a plant cutting) in a medium for growth and rooting
  70. to so propagate (a plant)
  71. to make one's way along
    • will strike the southern coast
  72. to cause (an arc) to form (as between electrodes of an arc lamp)
  73. to oviposit on or in
  74. a tool for smoothing a surface (as of a mold)
  75. an act or instance of striking
  76. a work stoppage by a body of workers to enforce compliance with demands made on an employer
  77. a temporary stoppage of activities in protest against an act or condition
  78. the direction of the line of intersection of a horizontal plane with an uptilted geological stratum
  79. a pull on a fishing rod to strike a fish
  80. a pull on a line by a fish in striking
  81. a stroke of good luck
  82. a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit
  83. a pitched ball that is in the strike zone or is swung at and is not hit fair
  84. a perfectly thrown ball or pass
  85. disadvantage, handicap
  86. an act or instance of knocking down all the bowling pins with the first bowl
  87. establishment of roots and plant growth
  88. cutaneous myiasis (as of sheep)
  89. a military attack
  90. an air attack on a single objective
  91. a group of airplanes taking part in such an attack

strike·bound ['strīk-,bau̇nd] -adj

  1. subjected to a strike

strike·break·er [-,brā-kər] -n

  1. a person hired to replace a striking worker

strike·break·ing [-kiŋ] -n

  1. action designed to break up a strike

strike down -vt

  1. annul, nullify
    • the board struck down the appointment
  2. to declare (a law) illegal and unenforceable
    • the Supreme Court struck down the law

strike force -n

  1. an armed force equipped to deliver a strong offensive or retaliatory blow
  2. a team of federal agents assigned to investigate organized crime in a specific area

strike off -vt

  1. to produce in an effortless manner
    • strike off a poem
  2. to depict clearly and exactly

strike·out ['strīk-,au̇t] -n

  1. an out in baseball resulting from a batter's being charged with three strikes

strike out -vi

  1. to enter upon a course of action
  2. to set out vigorously
  3. to make an out in baseball by a strikeout
  4. to finish bowling a string with consecutive strikes
  5. to bowl three strikes in the last frame
  6. fail
  7. to retire (as a batter) by a strikeout

strike·over ['strīk-,ō-vər] -n

  1. an act or instance of striking a typewriter character on a spot occupied by another character

strike price -n

  1. an agreed-upon price at which an option contract can be exercised called also striking price

strik·er ['strī-kər] -n

  1. : one that strikes: as
  2. a player in any of several games who is striking or attempting to strike a ball
  3. the hammer of the striking mechanism of a clock or watch
  4. a blacksmith's helper who swings the sledgehammer
  5. a worker on strike
  6. a junior enlisted man in the U.S. Navy who has declared an occupational specialty
  7. a forward in soccer

strikeslip ['strīk-,slip] -n

  1. a fault about which movement is predominantly horizontal
  2. a slipping movement along the strike of a fault
    • strikeslip earthquakes

strike up -vi

  1. to begin to sing or play or to be sung or played
  2. to cause to begin singing or playing
    • strike up the band
  3. to cause to begin
    • strike up a conversation

strike zone -n

  1. the area over home plate through which a pitched baseball must pass to be called a strike

striking -adj, adv

  1. attracting attention or notice through unusual or conspicuous qualities
    • a place of striking beauty

striking distance -n

  1. a distance from which something can be easily reached or attained
    • almost within striking distance of their goal

string ['striŋ] -n, adj

  1. a cord usu. used to bind, fasten, or tie often used attributively
    • a string bag
  2. something that resembles a string
    • garnished with potato string s
  3. a cord (as a tendon or ligament) of an animal body
  4. a plant fiber (as a leaf vein)
  5. the gut, wire, or nylon cord of a musical instrument
  6. the stringed instruments of an orchestra
  7. the players of such instruments
  8. the gut, wire, or cord of a racket or shooting bow
  9. a group of objects threaded on a string
    • a string of fish
    • a string of pearls
  10. a series of things arranged in or as if in a line
    • a string of cars
    • a string of names
  11. a sequence of like items (as bits, characters, or words)
  12. a group of business properties scattered geographically
    • a string of newspapers
  13. the animals and esp. horses belonging to or used by one individual
  14. a means of recourse : expedient
  15. a group of players ranked according to skill or proficiency
  16. succession
    • a string of successes
  17. one of the inclined sides of a stair supporting the treads and risers
  18. balkline
  19. the action of lagging for break in billiards
  20. line
  21. contingent conditions or obligations
  22. control, domination
  23. a hypothetical one-dimensional object that is infinitely thin but has a length of 10 33centimeters, that vibrates as it moves through space, and whose mode of vibration manifests itself as a subatomic particle
  24. to equip with strings
  25. to tune the strings of
  26. to make tense : key up
  27. to thread on or as if on a string
  28. to thread with objects
  29. to tie, hang, or fasten with string
  30. to put together (as words or ideas) like objects threaded on a string
    • strung her thoughts together
  31. to hang by the neck used with up
  32. to remove the strings of
    • string beans
  33. to extend or stretch like a string
    • string wires from tree to tree
  34. to set out in a line or series often used with out
  35. to move, progress, or lie in a string
  36. to form into strings
  37. lag
  38. of or relating to stringed musical instruments
    • the string section

string along -vt

  1. to keep waiting
    • strung him along until the boss was back from lunch
  2. deceive, fool
    • string along ing us along with ruses and red herrings -- John Powers
  3. go along, agree
    • held her tongue and strung along with the rest of them

string bass -n

  1. double bass

string bean -n

  1. a bean of one of the older varieties of kidney bean that have stringy fibers on the lines of separation of the pods
  2. snap bean
  3. a very tall thin person

string bikini -n

  1. a scanty bikini with string-like straps

string cheese -n

  1. cheese formed usu. into sticks that can be pulled apart in narrow strips

string·course [-,kȯrs] -n

  1. a horizontal band (as of bricks) in a building forming a part of the design

stringed ['striŋd] -adj

  1. having strings
    • stringed instruments
  2. produced by strings

strin·gen·cy ['strin-jən(t)-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being stringent

strin·gen·do [strin-'jen-(,)dō] -adv

  1. with quickening of tempo (as to a climax) used as a direction in music

strin·gent ['strin-jənt] -adj, adv

  1. tight, constricted
  2. marked by rigor, strictness, or severity esp. with regard to rule or standard
    • stringent decontamination procedures
  3. marked by money scarcity and credit strictness
    • a stringent budget

string·er ['striŋ-ər] -n

  1. one that strings
  2. a string, wire, or chain often with snaps on which fish are strung by a fisherman
  3. a narrow vein or irregular filament of mineral traversing a rock mass of different material
  4. a long horizontal timber to connect uprights in a frame or to support a floor
  5. string
  6. a tie in a truss
  7. a longitudinal member extending from bent to bent of a railroad bridge and carrying the track
  8. a longitudinal member (as in an airplane fuselage or wing) to reinforce the skin
  9. a news correspondent who is paid space rates
  10. a reporter who works for a publication or news agency on a part-time basis
  11. correspondent
  12. one estimated to be of specified excellence or efficiency used in combination
    • first- stringer
    • second- stringer

string·halt ['striŋ-,hȯlt] -n, adj

  1. a condition of lameness in a horse's hind legs caused by muscular spasms and resulting in excessive flexion of the hock

string·ing ['striŋ-iŋ] -n

  1. lines of inlay in furniture decoration
  2. the material with which a racket is strung

string line -n

  1. balkline

string·piece ['striŋ-,pēs] -n

  1. the heavy squared timber lying along the top of the piles forming a dock front or timber pier

string quartet -n

  1. a composition for string quartet
  2. a quartet of performers on stringed instruments usu. including a first and second violin, a viola, and a cello

string theory -n

  1. a theory in physics: all elementary particles are manifestations of the vibrations of one-dimensional strings

string tie -n

  1. a narrow necktie

stringy ['striŋ-ē] -adj, n

  1. containing, consisting of, or resembling fibrous matter or string
    • stringy hair
  2. lean and sinewy in build : wiry
  3. capable of being drawn out to form a string : ropy
    • a stringy precipitate

stringy·bark ['striŋ-ē-,bärk] -n

  1. any of several Australian eucalypti with fibrous inner bark
  2. the bark of a stringybark

strip ['strip] -vb, adj

  1. to remove clothing, covering, or surface matter from
  2. to deprive of possessions
  3. to divest of honors, privileges, or functions
  4. to remove extraneous or superficial matter from
    • a prose style stripped to the bones
  5. to remove furniture, equipment, or accessories from
    • strip a ship for action
  6. to make bare or clear (as by cutting or grazing)
  7. to finish a milking of by pressing the last available milk from the teats
    • strip a cow
  8. to remove cured leaves from the stalks of (tobacco)
  9. to remove the midrib from (tobacco leaves)
  10. to tear or damage the thread of (a separable part or fitting)
  11. to separate (components) from a mixture or solution
  12. to press eggs or milt out of (a fish)
  13. to remove (a subcutaneous vein) by means of a surgical instrument
    • stripping a varicose saphenous vein
  14. to take off clothes
  15. to perform a striptease
  16. peel
  17. a long narrow piece of a material
  18. a long narrow area of land or water
  19. airstrip
  20. a commercially developed area esp. along a highway
  21. comic strip
  22. striptease

stripchart recorder ['strip-,chärt-] -n

  1. a device used for the continuous graphic recording of time-dependent data

strip cropping ['strip-,kräp] -n, vb

  1. the growing of a cultivated crop (as corn) in strips alternating with strips of a sod-forming crop (as hay) arranged to follow an approximate contour of the land and minimize erosion

stripe ['strīp] -n

  1. a stroke or blow with a rod or lash
  2. to make stripes on or variegate with stripes
  3. a line or long narrow section differing in color or texture from parts adjoining
  4. a textile design consisting of lines or bands against a plain background
  5. a fabric with a striped design
  6. a narrow strip of braid or embroidery usu. in the shape of a bar, arc, or chevron that is worn (as on the sleeve of a military uniform) to indicate rank or length of service
  7. a distinct variety or sort : type
    • persons of the same political stripe

striped ['strīpt, 'strī-pəd] -adj

  1. having stripes or streaks

striped bass -n

  1. a large anadromous silvery food and sport fish ( Morone saxatilisof the family Percichthyidae) with black horizontal stripes on the sides that occurs along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and has been introduced into inland waters (as lakes and reservoirs) and along the Pacific coast called also rockfish

striped skunk -n

  1. a common No. American skunk ( Mephitis mephitis) usu. with white on the top of the head that extends posteriorly in two narrowly separated stripes

strip·er ['strī-pər] -n

  1. striped bass

striping -n

  1. the stripes marked or painted on something
  2. a design of stripes
  3. the act or process of marking with stripes

strip·ling ['stri-pliŋ] -n

  1. youth

strip mall -n

  1. a long usu. one-story building or group of buildings housing several adjacent retail stores or service establishments

strip mine -n, vb

  1. a mine that is worked from the earth's surface by the stripping of overburden
  2. a coal mine situated along the outcrop of a flat dipping bed

strippeddown ['strip(t)-'dau̇n] -adj

  1. lacking any extra features : simple
    • a strippeddown basic car

strip·per ['stri-pər] -n

  1. one that strips
  2. stripteaser
  3. a machine that separates a desired part of an agricultural crop
  4. an oil well that produces 10 barrels or less per day

strip poker -n

  1. a poker game in which players pay their losses by removing articles of clothing

strip search -n, vb

  1. a search for something concealed on a person made after removal of the person's clothing

strip·tease ['strip-,tēz] -n

  1. a burlesque act in which a performer removes clothing piece by piece

strip·teas·er [-,tē-zər] -n

  1. one who performs a striptease

stripy ['strī-pē] -adj

  1. marked by stripes or streaks
    • a stripy cat

strive ['strīv] -vi, n

  1. to devote serious effort or energy : endeavor
    • strive to finish a project
  2. to struggle in opposition : contend

strobe ['strōb] -n

  1. stroboscope
  2. a device that utilizes a flashtube for high-speed illumination (as in photography)
  3. flashtube

strobe light -n

  1. strobe

stro·bi·la [strō-'bī-lə, 'strō-bə-] -n

  1. a linear series of similar animal structures (as the proglottids of a tapeworm) produced by budding

stro·bi·la·tion [,strō-bə-'lā-shən] -n

  1. asexual reproduction (as in various coelenterates and tapeworms) by transverse division of the body into segments which develop into separate individuals, zooids, or proglottids

stro·bi·lus [strō-'bī-ləs, 'strō-bə-] -n

  1. an aggregation of sporophylls resembling a cone (as in the club mosses and horsetails)
  2. the cone of a gymnosperm

stro·bo·scope ['strō-bə-,skōp] -n

  1. : an instrument for determining the speed of cyclic motion (as rotation or vibration) that causes the motion to appear slowed or stopped: as
  2. a revolving disk with holes around the edge through which an object is viewed
  3. a device that uses a flashtube to intermittently illuminate a moving object
  4. a cardboard disk with marks to be viewed under intermittent light

stro·bo·scop·ic [,strō-bə-'skä-pik] -adj, adv

  1. of, utilizing, or relating to a stroboscope or a strobe

strode ['strīd] -vb, n

(variant of stride)

  1. to stand astride
  2. to move with or as if with long steps
    • strode across the room
  3. to take a very long step
  4. bestride, straddle
  5. to step over
  6. to move over or along with or as if with long measured steps
    • striding the boardwalk
  7. a cycle of locomotor movements (as of a horse) completed when the feet regain the initial relative positions
  8. the distance traversed in a stride
  9. the most effective natural pace : maximum competence or capability often used in the phrase hit one's stride
  10. a long step
  11. an act of striding
  12. a stage of progress : advance
    • made great stride s toward their goal
  13. a manner of striding
  14. stride piano

stroke ['strōk] -vt, n

  1. to rub gently in one direction
  2. caress
  3. to flatter or pay attention to in a manner designed to reassure or persuade
  4. the act of striking
  5. a blow with a weapon or implement
  6. a single unbroken movement
  7. one of a series of repeated or to-and-fro movements
  8. a controlled swing intended to hit a ball or shuttlecock
  9. a striking of the ball
  10. such a stroke charged to a player as a unit of scoring in golf
  11. a sudden action or process producing an impact
    • a stroke of lightning
  12. an unexpected result
    • a stroke of luck
  13. sudden diminution or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the brain called also apoplexy brain attack cerebrovascular accident
  14. one of a series of propelling beats or movements against a resisting medium
    • a stroke of the oar
  15. a rower who sets the pace for a crew
  16. a vigorous or energetic effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished
    • a stroke of genius
    • a brilliant diplomatic stroke
  17. a delicate or clever touch in a narrative, description, or construction
  18. heartbeat
  19. the movement in either direction of a mechanical part (as a piston) having a reciprocating motion
  20. the distance of such movement
  21. the sound of a bell being struck
    • at the stroke of twelve
  22. the specific time indicated by or as if by such a sound
  23. an act of stroking or caressing
  24. a mark or dash made by a single movement of an implement
  25. one of the lines of a letter of the alphabet
  26. to mark with a short line
    • stroke the t 's
  27. to cancel by drawing a line through
    • stroked out his name
  28. to set the stroke for (a rowing crew)
  29. to set the stroke for the crew of (a rowing boat)
  30. hit
  31. to propel (a ball) with a controlled swinging blow
  32. to execute a stroke
  33. to row at a certain number of strokes a minute

stroke play -n

  1. golf competition scored by total number of strokes

stroll ['strōl] -vb, n

  1. to go from place to place in search of work or profit
    • stroll ing players
    • stroll ing musicians
  2. to walk in a leisurely or idle manner : ramble
  3. to walk at leisure along or about

stroll·er ['strō-lər] -n

  1. an itinerant actor
  2. vagrant, tramp
  3. one that strolls
  4. a collapsible carriage designed as a chair in which a small child may be pushed

stro·ma ['strō-mə] -n, adj

  1. a compact mass of fungal hyphae producing perithecia or pycnidia
  2. the colorless proteinaceous matrix of a chloroplast in which the chlorophyll-containing lamellae are embedded
  3. the supporting framework of an animal organ typically consisting of connective tissue
  4. the spongy protoplasmic framework of some cells (as a red blood cell)

stro·mat·o·lite [strō-'ma-tə-,līt] -n, adj

  1. a laminated usu. mounded sedimentary fossil formed from layers of cyanobacteria, calcium carbonate, and trapped sediment

strong ['strȯŋ] -adj, adv

  1. having or marked by great physical power
  2. having moral or intellectual power
  3. having great resources (as of wealth or talent)
  4. of a specified number
    • an army ten thousand strong
  5. striking or superior of its kind
    • a strong resemblance
  6. effective or efficient esp. in a specified direction
    • strong on watching other people work -- A. Alvarez
  7. forceful, cogent
    • strong evidence
    • strong talk
  8. : not mild or weak : extreme, intense: as
  9. rich in some active agent
    • strong beer
  10. high in chroma
  11. ionizing freely in solution
    • strong acids and bases
  12. magnifying by refracting greatly
    • a strong lens
  13. flagrant
  14. moving with rapidity or force
    • a strong wind
  15. ardent, zealous
    • a strong supporter
  16. not easily injured or disturbed : solid
  17. not easily subdued or taken
    • a strong fort
  18. well established : firm
    • strong beliefs
  19. not easily upset or nauseated
    • a strong stomach
  20. having an offensive or intense odor or flavor : rank
    • strong breath
  21. tending to steady or higher prices
    • a strong market
  22. of, relating to, or being a verb that is inflected by a change in the root vowel (as strive, strove, striven) rather than by regular affixation

strong anthropic principle -n

  1. anthropic principle

strongarm ['strȯŋ-'ärm] -adj

  1. having or using undue force
  2. to use force on : assault
  3. bully, intimidate
  4. to rob by force

strong·box ['strȯŋ-,bäks] -n

  1. a strongly made chest or case for money or valuables

strong breeze -n

  1. wind having a speed of 25 to 31 miles (40 to 50 kilometers) per hour

strong drink -n

  1. intoxicating liquor

strong force -n

  1. a fundamental physical force that acts on hadrons and is responsible for the binding together of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus and for processes of particle creation in high-energy collisions and that is the strongest known fundamental physical force but acts only over distances comparable to those between nucleons in an atomic nucleus called also strong interaction strong nuclear force

strong gale -n

  1. wind having a speed of 47 to 54 miles (75 to 87 kilometers) per hour

strong·hold ['strȯŋ-,hōld] -n

  1. a fortified place
  2. a place of security or survival
    • one of the last stronghold s of the ancient Gaelic language -- George Holmes
  3. a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic
    • a Republican stronghold
    • stronghold s of snobbery -- Lionel Trilling

strong·man ['strȯŋ-,man] -n

  1. one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods

strongmind·ed ['strȯŋ-'mīn-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a vigorous mind
  2. marked by independence of thought and judgment

strong·point ['strȯŋ-,pȯint] -n

  1. a strongly fortified tactical locality in a defensive position

strong room -n

  1. a room for money or valuables specially constructed to be fireproof and burglarproof

strong safety -n

  1. a safety in football who plays opposite the strong side of an offensive formation

strong side -n

  1. the side of a football formation having the greater number of players
  2. the side on which the tight end plays

strong suit -n

  1. a long suit containing high cards
  2. something in which one excels : forte
    • details of legislation have never been my strong suit -- Tip O'Neill

stron·gyle ['strän-,jī(-ə)l, -jəl] -n

  1. any of various nematode worms (family Strongylidae) related to the hookworms and parasitic esp. in the intestines and tissues of horses

stron·gy·loi·di·a·sis [,strän-jə-,lȯi-'dī-ə-səs] -n

  1. infestation with or disease caused by any of a genus ( Strongyloides) of strongyles that parasitize esp. the intestines of vertebrates including humans

stron·tian·ite ['strän(t)-shə-,nīt] -n

  1. a mineral consisting of a carbonate of strontium and occurring in various forms and colors

stron·tium ['strän(t)-sh(ē-)əm, 'strän-tē-əm] -n

  1. a soft malleable ductile metallic element of the alkaline-earth group occurring only in combination and used esp. in color TV tubes, in crimson fireworks, and in the production of some ferrites

strontium 90 -n

  1. a heavy radioactive isotope of strontium of mass number 90 that has a half-life of 29 years, that is present in nuclear waste and fallout, and that is hazardous because like calcium it can be assimilated in biological processes and deposited in the bones of human beings and animals

strop ['sträp] -n

  1. : strap:
  2. a short rope with its ends spliced to form a circle
  3. a usu. leather band for sharpening a razor
  4. to sharpen (a razor) on a strop

stro·phan·thin [strō-'fan(t)-thən] -n

  1. any of several glycosides (as ouabain) or mixtures of glycosides from African plants (genera Strophanthusand Acokanthera) of the dogbane family
  2. a bitter toxic glycoside C 36H 54O 14from a woody vine ( Strophanthus kombe) used similarly to digitalis

stro·phe ['strō-(,)fē] -n

  1. a rhythmic system composed of two or more lines repeated as a unit
  2. such a unit recurring in a series of strophic units
  3. stanza
  4. the movement of the classical Greek chorus while turning from one side to the other of the orchestra
  5. the part of a Greek choral ode sung during the strophe of the dance

stro·phic ['strō-fik, 'strä-] -adj

  1. relating to, containing, or consisting of strophes
  2. using the same music for successive stanzas

strop·py ['strä-pē] -adj

  1. touchy, belligerent

stroud ['strau̇d] -n

  1. a coarse woolen cloth formerly used in trade with No. American Indians
  2. a blanket or garment of stroud

strove ['strīv] -vi, n

(variant of strive)

  1. to devote serious effort or energy : endeavor
    • strive to finish a project
  2. to struggle in opposition : contend

strow ['strō] -vt

  1. scatter

stroy -vb

  1. destroy

struck ['strīk] -vb

(variant of strike)

  1. to take a course : go
    • struck off through the brush
  2. to aim and usu. deliver a blow, stroke, or thrust (as with the hand, a weapon, or a tool)
  3. to arrive with detrimental effect
    • disaster struck
  4. to attempt to undermine or harm something as if by a blow
    • struck at...cherished notions -- R. P. Warren
  5. to come into contact forcefully
    • two ships struck in mid channel
  6. to delete something
  7. to lower a flag usu. in surrender
  8. to become indicated by a clock, bell, or chime
    • the hour had just struck
  9. to make known the time by sounding
    • the clock struck as they entered
  10. pierce, penetrate
    • the wind seemed to strike through our clothes
  11. to engage in battle
  12. to make a military attack
  13. to become ignited
    • the match struck
  14. to discover something
    • struck on a new plan of attack
  15. to pull on a fishing rod in order to set the hook
  16. to seize the bait
  17. dart, shoot
  18. to take root
  19. germinate
  20. to make an impression
  21. to stop work in order to force an employer to comply with demands
  22. to make a beginning
    • the need to strike vigorously for success
  23. to thrust oneself forward
    • he struck into the midst of the argument
  24. to work diligently : strive
  25. to strike at : hit
  26. to drive or remove by or as if by a blow
  27. to attack or seize with a sharp blow (as of fangs or claws)
    • struck by a snake
  28. inflict
    • strike a blow
  29. to produce by or as if by a blow or stroke
    • Moses struck water from the rock
  30. to separate by a sharp blow
    • strike off flints
  31. to haul down : lower
    • strike the sails
  32. to dismantle and take away
    • strike the set
  33. to strike the tents of (a camp)
  34. to afflict suddenly
    • stricken by a heart attack
  35. to engage in (a battle) : fight
  36. to make a military attack on
  37. delete, cancel
    • strike the last paragraph
  38. to penetrate painfully : pierce
  39. to cause to penetrate
    • strike the needle
  40. to send down or out
    • trees struck roots deep into the soil
  41. to level (as a measure of grain) by scraping off what is above the rim
  42. to smooth or form (as a mold) with a tool
  43. to indicate by sounding
    • the clock struck one
  44. to bring into forceful contact
    • struck his head on the doorjamb
  45. to shake (hands) in confirming an agreement
  46. to thrust suddenly
  47. to come into contact or collision with
    • the car struck the tree
  48. to fall on
  49. to become audible to
  50. to affect with a mental or emotional state or a strong emotion
    • struck with horror at the sight
  51. to affect a person with (a strong emotion)
    • words that struck fear in the listeners
  52. to cause to become by or as if by a sudden blow
    • struck him dead
  53. to produce by stamping
    • strike a coin
  54. to produce (as fire) by or as if by striking
  55. to cause to ignite by friction
    • strike a match
  56. to make and ratify the terms of
    • strike a bargain
  57. to play or produce by stroking keys or strings
    • struck a series of chords on the piano
  58. to produce as if by playing an instrument
    • his voice struck a note of concern
  59. to hook (a fish) by a sharp pull on the line
  60. to snatch at (a bait)
  61. to occur to
    • the answer struck me suddenly
  62. to appear to esp. as a revelation or as remarkable : impress
    • it struck the crowd as insensitive
  63. bewitch
  64. to arrive at by or as if by computation
    • strike a balance
  65. to come to : attain
  66. to come upon : discover
    • strike gold
  67. to engage in a strike against (an employer)
  68. take on, assume
    • strike a pose
  69. to place (a plant cutting) in a medium for growth and rooting
  70. to so propagate (a plant)
  71. to make one's way along
    • will strike the southern coast
  72. to cause (an arc) to form (as between electrodes of an arc lamp)
  73. to oviposit on or in
  74. a tool for smoothing a surface (as of a mold)
  75. an act or instance of striking
  76. a work stoppage by a body of workers to enforce compliance with demands made on an employer
  77. a temporary stoppage of activities in protest against an act or condition
  78. the direction of the line of intersection of a horizontal plane with an uptilted geological stratum
  79. a pull on a fishing rod to strike a fish
  80. a pull on a line by a fish in striking
  81. a stroke of good luck
  82. a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit
  83. a pitched ball that is in the strike zone or is swung at and is not hit fair
  84. a perfectly thrown ball or pass
  85. disadvantage, handicap
  86. an act or instance of knocking down all the bowling pins with the first bowl
  87. establishment of roots and plant growth
  88. cutaneous myiasis (as of sheep)
  89. a military attack
  90. an air attack on a single objective
  91. a group of airplanes taking part in such an attack

struc·tur·al ['strək-chə-rəl, 'strək-shrəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to the physical makeup of a plant or animal body
    • structural defects of the heart
  2. of, relating to, or affecting structure
    • structural stability
  3. used in building structures
    • structural clay
  4. involved in or caused by structure esp. of the economy
    • structural unemployment
  5. of, relating to, or resulting from the effects of folding or faulting of the earth's crust : tectonic
  6. concerned with or relating to structure rather than history or comparison
    • structural linguistics

structural formula -n

  1. an expanded molecular formula showing the arrangement within the molecule of atoms and of bonds

structural gene -n

  1. a gene that codes for the amino acid sequence of a protein (as an enzyme) or for a ribosomal RNA or transfer RNA

struc·tur·al·ism ['strək-chə-rə-,li-zəm, 'strək-shrə-] -n, n or adj

  1. psychology concerned esp. with resolution of the mind into structural elements
  2. structural linguistics
  3. an anthropological movement associated esp. with Claude Levi-Strauss that seeks to analyze social relationships in terms of highly abstract relational structures often expressed in a logical symbolism
  4. a method of analysis (as of a literary text or a political system) that is related to cultural anthropology and that focuses on recurring patterns of thought and behavior

structural isomer -n

  1. one of two or more compounds that contain the same number and kinds of atoms but that differ significantly in their geometric arrangement

struc·tur·al·ize ['strək-chə-rə-,līz, 'strək-shrə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to organize or incorporate into a structure

structural steel -n

  1. rolled steel in structural shapes
  2. steel suitable for structural shapes

struc·tur·a·tion [,strək-chə-'rā-shən, -shə-'rā-] -n

  1. the interrelation of parts in an organized whole

struc·ture ['strək-chər] -n, adj

  1. the action of building : construction
  2. something (as a building) that is constructed
  3. something arranged in a definite pattern of organization
    • a rigid totalitarian structure -- J. L. Hess
    • leaves and other plant structure s
  4. manner of construction : makeup
    • Gothic in structure
  5. the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body
    • soil structure
    • molecular structure
  6. organization of parts as dominated by the general character of the whole
    • economic structure
    • personality structure
  7. coherent form or organization
    • tried to give some structure to the children's lives
  8. the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other
    • the structure of a language

structure ['strək-chə-riŋ, 'strək-shriŋ] -vt

  1. to form into or according to a structure
  2. construct

structured -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a method of computer programming in which each step of the solution to a problem is contained in a separate subprogram

stru·del ['strü-dᵊl, 'shtrü-] -n

  1. a pastry made from a thin sheet of dough rolled up with filling and baked
    • apple strudel

strug·gle ['strə-gəl] -vi, n

  1. to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition
    • struggling with the problem
  2. to proceed with difficulty or with great effort
    • struggled through the high grass
    • struggling to make a living

struggle -n

  1. contest, strife
    • armed struggle
    • a power struggle
  2. a violent effort or exertion : an act of strongly motivated striving
    • a struggle to make ends meet
  3. tussle
    • during the struggle the gun went off

struggle for existence

  1. the automatic competition of members of a natural population for limited vital resources (as food, space, or light) that results in natural selection

strum ['strəm] -n

  1. an act, instance, or sound of strumming
  2. to brush the fingers over the strings of (a musical instrument) in playing
    • strum a guitar
  3. thrum
  4. to play (music) on a stringed instrument
    • strum a tune
  5. to cause to sound vibrantly
    • winds strummed the rigging -- H. A. Chippendale
  6. to strum a stringed instrument
  7. to sound vibrantly

stru·ma ['strü-mə] -n

  1. goiter

strum·pet ['strəm-pət] -n

  1. prostitute

strung ['striŋ] -n, adj

(variant of string)

  1. a cord usu. used to bind, fasten, or tie often used attributively
    • a string bag
  2. something that resembles a string
    • garnished with potato string s
  3. a cord (as a tendon or ligament) of an animal body
  4. a plant fiber (as a leaf vein)
  5. the gut, wire, or nylon cord of a musical instrument
  6. the stringed instruments of an orchestra
  7. the players of such instruments
  8. the gut, wire, or cord of a racket or shooting bow
  9. a group of objects threaded on a string
    • a string of fish
    • a string of pearls
  10. a series of things arranged in or as if in a line
    • a string of cars
    • a string of names
  11. a sequence of like items (as bits, characters, or words)
  12. a group of business properties scattered geographically
    • a string of newspapers
  13. the animals and esp. horses belonging to or used by one individual
  14. a means of recourse : expedient
  15. a group of players ranked according to skill or proficiency
  16. succession
    • a string of successes
  17. one of the inclined sides of a stair supporting the treads and risers
  18. balkline
  19. the action of lagging for break in billiards
  20. line
  21. contingent conditions or obligations
  22. control, domination
  23. a hypothetical one-dimensional object that is infinitely thin but has a length of 10 33centimeters, that vibrates as it moves through space, and whose mode of vibration manifests itself as a subatomic particle
  24. to equip with strings
  25. to tune the strings of
  26. to make tense : key up
  27. to thread on or as if on a string
  28. to thread with objects
  29. to tie, hang, or fasten with string
  30. to put together (as words or ideas) like objects threaded on a string
    • strung her thoughts together
  31. to hang by the neck used with up
  32. to remove the strings of
    • string beans
  33. to extend or stretch like a string
    • string wires from tree to tree
  34. to set out in a line or series often used with out
  35. to move, progress, or lie in a string
  36. to form into strings
  37. lag
  38. of or relating to stringed musical instruments
    • the string section

strung out -adj

  1. physically debilitated (as from long-term drug addiction)
  2. addicted to a drug
  3. intoxicated or stupefied from drug use

strunt ['strənt] -vi

  1. strut

strut ['strət] -vb, n

  1. to become turgid : swell
  2. to walk with a proud gait
  3. to walk with a pompous and affected air
  4. to parade (as clothes) with a show of pride
  5. a structural piece designed to resist pressure in the direction of its length
  6. a pompous step or walk
  7. arrogant behavior : swagger
  8. to provide, stiffen, support, or hold apart with or as if with a strut

stru·thi·ous ['strü-thē-əs, -thē-] -adj

  1. of or relating to the ostriches and related birds

strych·nine ['strik-,nīn, -nən, -,nēn] -n

  1. a bitter poisonous alkaloid C 21H 22N 2O 2that is obtained from nux vomica and related plants (genus Strychnos) and is used as a poison (as for rodents) and medicinally as a stimulant of the central nervous system

Stu·art ['stü-ərt, 'styü-; 'st(y)u̇rt] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to the Scottish royal house to which belonged the rulers of Scotland from 1371 to 1603 and of Great Britain from 1603 to 1649 and from 1660 to 1714

stub ['stəb] -n

  1. stump
  2. a short piece remaining on a stem or trunk where a branch has been lost
  3. something made or worn to a short or blunt shape
  4. a pen with a short blunt nib
  5. a short blunt part left after a larger part has been broken off or used up
    • a pencil stub
  6. something cut short or stunted
  7. a small part of a leaf (as of a checkbook) attached to the spine for memoranda of the contents of the part torn away
  8. the part of a ticket returned to the user
  9. to grub up by the roots
  10. to clear (land) by grubbing out rooted growth
  11. to hew or cut down (a tree) close to the ground
  12. to extinguish (as a cigarette) by crushing
  13. to strike (one's foot or toe) against an object

stub·ble ['stə-bəl] -n, adj

  1. the basal part of herbaceous plants and esp. cereal grasses remaining attached to the soil after harvest
  2. a rough surface or growth resembling stubble
  3. a short growth of beard

stubble mulch -n

  1. a lightly tilled mulch of plant residue used to prevent erosion, conserve moisture, and add organic matter to the soil

stub·born ['stə-bərn] -adj, adv, n

  1. unreasonably or perversely unyielding : mulish
  2. justifiably unyielding : resolute
  3. suggestive or typical of a strong stubborn nature
    • a stubborn jaw
  4. performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner
    • stubborn effort
  5. difficult to handle, manage, or treat
    • a stubborn cold
  6. lasting
    • stubborn facts

stub·by ['stə-bē] -adj

  1. abounding with stubs
  2. resembling a stub : being short and thick
    • stubby fingers
  3. being short and thickset : squat
  4. being short, broad, or blunt (as from use or wear)
    • an old stubby pencil

stuc·co ['stə-(,)kō] -n, adj

  1. a fine plaster used in decoration and ornamentation (as of interior walls)
  2. a material usu. made of portland cement, sand, and a small percentage of lime and applied in a plastic state to form a hard covering for exterior walls
  3. stuccowork

stuc·co·work ['stə-kō-,wərk] -n

  1. work done in stucco

stuck ['stik] -n, adj

(variant of stick)

  1. : a woody piece or part of a tree or shrub: as
  2. a usu. dry or dead severed shoot, twig, or slender branch
  3. a cut or broken branch or piece of wood gathered for fuel or construction material
  4. : a long slender piece of wood or metal: as
  5. a club or staff used as a weapon
  6. walking stick
  7. an implement used for striking or propelling an object in a game
  8. something used to force compliance
  9. a baton symbolizing an office or dignity
  10. a person entitled to bear such a baton
  11. a piece of the materials composing something (as a building)
  12. : any of various implements resembling a stick in shape, origin, or use: as
  13. composing stick
  14. an airplane lever operating the elevators and ailerons
  15. the gearshift lever of an automobile
  16. something prepared (as by cutting, molding, or rolling) in a relatively long and slender often cylindrical form
    • a stick of candy
    • a stick of butter
  17. person, chap
  18. a dull, inert, stiff, or spiritless person
  19. remote usu. rural districts regarded esp. as backward, dull, or unsophisticated : boondocks
  20. an herbaceous stalk resembling a woody stick
    • celery stick s
  21. mast
  22. yard
  23. a piece of furniture
  24. a number of bombs arranged for release from a bombing plane in a series across a target
  25. a number of parachutists dropping together
  26. a marijuana cigarette
  27. punishment or the threat of punishment used to force compliance or cooperation
    • choosing between the carrot and the stick
  28. criticism, abuse
  29. to hit or propel (as a hockey puck) with a stick
  30. to pierce with something pointed : stab
  31. to kill by piercing
  32. to push or thrust so as or as if to pierce
  33. to fasten by thrusting in
  34. impale
  35. push, thrust
  36. to put or set in a specified place or position
  37. to furnish with things fastened on by or as if by piercing
  38. to attach by or as if by causing to adhere to a surface
  39. to compel to pay esp. by trickery
    • got stuck with the bar bill
  40. overcharge
  41. to halt the movement or action of
  42. baffle, stump
  43. cheat, defraud
  44. to saddle with something disadvantageous or disagreeable
    • is still stuck with that lousy car
  45. to execute (a landing) flawlessly in gymnastics
  46. : to hold to something firmly by or as if by adhesion:
  47. to become fixed in place by means of a pointed end
  48. to become fast by or as if by miring or by gluing or plastering
    • stuck in the mud
  49. to remain in a place, situation, or environment
  50. to hold fast or adhere resolutely : cling
    • she stuck to her story
  51. to remain effective
  52. to keep close in a chase or competition
  53. to become blocked, wedged, or jammed
  54. balk, scruple
  55. to find oneself baffled
  56. to be unable to proceed
  57. project, protrude
  58. a thrust with a pointed instrument : stab
  59. delay, stop
  60. impediment
  61. adhesive quality or substance

stuckup ['stək-'əp] -adj

  1. conceited, snobbish

stud ['stəd] -n

  1. a group of animals and esp. horses kept primarily for breeding
  2. a place (as a farm) where a stud is kept
  3. studhorse
  4. a male animal kept for breeding
  5. a young man : guy
  6. one who is virile and promiscuous
  7. a tough person
  8. hunk
  9. one of the smaller uprights in the framing of the walls of a building to which sheathing, paneling, or laths are fastened : scantling
  10. height from floor to ceiling
  11. a boss, rivet, or nail with a large head used (as on a shield or belt) for ornament or protection
  12. a solid button with a shank or eye on the back inserted (as through an eyelet in a garment) as a fastener or ornament
  13. a small button-like ornament with a post for inserting through a body part (as the earlobe or nostril) and into a clasp
  14. any of various infixed pieces (as a rod or pin) projecting from a machine and serving chiefly as a support or axis
  15. one of the metal or rubber cleats projecting from a snow tire to increase traction
  16. to furnish (as a building or wall) with studs
  17. to adorn, cover, or protect with studs
  18. to set, mark, or decorate conspicuously often at intervals
    • a sky studded with stars
    • a career studded with honors
  19. student

stud·book ['stəd-,bu̇k] -n

  1. an official record (as in a book) of the pedigree of purebred animals (as horses or dogs)
  2. a record of the lineage of a wild animal bred in captivity (as at a zoo)

studding -n

  1. the studs of a building or wall

stud·ding sail ['stə-diŋ-,sāl, 'stən(t)-səl] -n

  1. a light sail set at the side of a principal square sail of a ship in free winds

stu·dent ['stü-dᵊnt, 'styü-, chiefly Southern -dənt] -n

  1. scholar, learner
  2. one who attends a school
  3. one who studies : an attentive and systematic observer
    • a student of politics

student body -n

  1. the students at an educational institution

student government -n

  1. the organization and management of student life by various student organizations

student lamp -n

  1. a desk reading lamp with a tubular shaft, one or two arms for a shaded light, and orig. an oil reservoir

stu·dent·ship ['stü-dᵊnt-,ship, 'styü-, -dənt-] -n

  1. a grant for university study
  2. the state of being a student

stu·dent's t distribution ['stü-dᵊn(t)s-, -dən(t)s-] -n

  1. t distribution

Student's ttest -n

  1. t-test

student teacher -n

  1. a student who is engaged in practice teaching

student teaching -n

  1. practice teaching

student union -n

  1. a building on a college campus that is devoted to student activities and that usu. contains lounges, auditoriums, offices, and game rooms

stud·horse ['stəd-,hȯrs] -n

  1. a stallion kept esp. for breeding

stud·ied ['stə-dēd] -adj, adv, n

  1. carefully considered or prepared : thoughtful
    • a studied response
  2. knowledgeable, learned
    • studied in the craft of blacksmithing
  3. produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation : calculated
    • studied indifference
    • spoke with a studied accent

stu·dio ['stü-dē-(,)ō, 'styü-] -n

  1. the working place of a painter, sculptor, or photographer
  2. a place for the study of an art (as dancing, singing, or acting)
  3. a place where motion pictures are made
  4. a company that produces motion pictures
  5. a place maintained and equipped for the transmission of radio or television programs
  6. a place where audio recordings are made
  7. studio apartment

studio apartment -n

  1. a small apartment consisting typically of a main room, kitchenette, and bathroom

studio couch -n

  1. an upholstered usu. backless couch that can be made to serve as a double bed by sliding from underneath it the frame of a single cot

stu·di·ous ['stü-dē-əs, 'styü-] -adj, adv, n

  1. assiduous in the pursuit of learning
  2. of, relating to, or concerned with study
    • studious habits
  3. favorable to study
    • a studious environment
  4. diligent or earnest in intent
    • made a studious effort
  5. marked by or suggesting purposefulness or diligence
    • a studious expression on his face
  6. deliberately or consciously planned
    • studious avoidance of gender-specific pronouns

stud·ly ['stəd-lē] -adj

  1. attractively masculine : hunky

stud poker -n

  1. poker in which each player is dealt the first card facedown and the other four cards faceup with a round of betting taking place after each of the last four rounds of dealing

study ['stə-dē] -n

  1. a state of contemplation : reverie
  2. application of the mental faculties to the acquisition of knowledge
    • years of study
  3. such application in a particular field or to a specific subject
    • the study of Latin
  4. careful or extended consideration
    • the proposal is under study
  5. a careful examination or analysis of a phenomenon, development, or question
  6. the published report of such a study
  7. a building or room devoted to study or literary pursuits
  8. purpose, intent
    • it has been the study of my life to avoid those weaknesses -- Jane Austen
  9. a branch or department of learning : subject often used in pl.
    • American studies
  10. the activity or work of a student
    • returning to her studies after vacation
  11. an object of study or deliberation
    • every gesture a careful study -- Marcia Davenport
  12. something attracting close attention or examination
  13. a person who learns or memorizes something (as a part in a play) usu. used with a qualifying adjective
    • he's a quick study
  14. a literary or artistic production intended as a preliminary outline, an experimental interpretation, or an exploratory analysis of specific features or characteristics
  15. a musical composition for the practice of a point of technique
  16. to engage in study
  17. to undertake formal study of a subject
  18. meditate, reflect
  19. endeavor, try
  20. to read in detail esp. with the intention of learning
  21. to engage in the study of
    • study biology
  22. plot, design
  23. to consider attentively or in detail
    • study ing his face for a reaction

study hall -n

  1. a room in a school set aside for study
  2. a period in a student's day set aside for study and homework

stuff ['stəf] -n, adj

  1. : materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: as
  2. military baggage
  3. personal property
  4. material to be manufactured, wrought, or used in construction
    • clear half-inch pine stuff -- Emily Holt
  5. a finished textile suitable for clothing
  6. wool or worsted material
  7. literary or artistic production
  8. writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash
  9. an unspecified material substance or aggregate of matter
    • volcanic rock is curious stuff
  10. something (as a drug or food) consumed or introduced into the body by humans
  11. a matter to be considered
    • the truth was heady stuff
    • long-term policy stuff
  12. a group or scattering of miscellaneous objects or articles
    • pick that stuff up off the floor
  13. nonphysical unspecified material
    • conservation and...all kinds of good stuff -- Eric Korn
  14. fundamental material : substance
    • the stuff of greatness
  15. subject matter
    • a teacher who knows her stuff
  16. special knowledge or capability
    • showing their stuff
  17. spin imparted to a thrown or hit ball to make it curve or change course
  18. the movement of a baseball pitch out of its apparent line of flight : the liveliness of a pitch
    • greatest pitcher of my time...had tremendous stuff -- Ted Williams
  19. dunk shot
  20. to fill by packing things in : cram
    • the boy stuff ed his pockets with candy
  21. to fill to satiety : surfeit
    • stuff ed themselves with turkey
  22. to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffing
  23. to fill (as a cushion) with a soft material
  24. to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting
  25. to fill by intellectual effort
    • stuff ing their heads with facts
  26. to pack full of something immaterial
    • a book stuff ed with information
  27. to fill or block up (as nasal passages)
  28. to cause to enter or fill : thrust
    • stuff ed a lot of clothing into a laundry bag
  29. to put (as a ball or puck) into a goal forcefully from close range
  30. used in the imperative to express contempt
    • if they didn't like it, stuff 'em -- Eric Clapton
    often used in the phrases stuff it and get stuffed
  31. to stop (a ballcarrier) abruptly in a football game
    • stuff ed the runner just short of a first down

stuffed shirt -n

  1. a smug, conceited, and usu. pompous person often with an inflexibly conservative or reactionary attitude

stuff·er ['stə-fər] -n

  1. one that stuffs
  2. an enclosure (as a leaflet) inserted in an envelope in addition to a bill, statement, or notice
  3. a series of extra threads or yarn running lengthwise in a fabric to add weight and bulk and to form a backing esp. for carpets

stuff·ing ['stə-fiŋ] -n

  1. material used to stuff
  2. a seasoned mixture used to stuff food (as meat, vegetables, or eggs)

stuffing box -n

  1. a device that prevents leakage along a moving part (as a connecting rod) passing through a hole in a vessel (as a cylinder) containing steam, water, or oil and that consists of a box or chamber made by enlarging the hole and a gland to compress the contained packing

stuffy ['stə-fē] -adj, adv, n

  1. ill-natured, ill-humored
  2. lacking in vitality or interest : stodgy, dull
  3. oppressive to the breathing : close
    • a stuffy room
  4. stuffed up
    • a stuffy nose
  5. narrowly inflexible in standards of conduct : self-righteous
  6. stiffly conventional : priggish
    • stuffy formalities

stul·ti·fy ['stəl-tə-,fī] -vt, n

  1. to allege or prove to be of unsound mind and hence not responsible
  2. to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical
  3. to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : negate
  4. to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on

stum·ble ['stəm-bəl] -vb, n, adv

  1. to fall into sin or waywardness
  2. to make an error : blunder
  3. to come to an obstacle to belief
  4. to trip in walking or running
  5. to walk unsteadily or clumsily
  6. to speak or act in a hesitant or faltering manner
  7. to come unexpectedly or by chance
    • stumble onto the truth
  8. to fall or move carelessly
  9. to cause to stumble : trip
  10. bewilder, confound

stumble -n

  1. an act or instance of stumbling

stum·ble·bum ['stəm-bəl-,bəm] -n

  1. a clumsy or inept person
  2. an inept boxer

stum·bling block ['stəm-bliŋ-] -n

  1. an obstacle to progress
  2. an impediment to belief or understanding : perplexity

stump ['stəmp] -n

  1. the basal portion of a bodily part remaining after the rest is removed
  2. a rudimentary or vestigial bodily part
  3. the part of a plant and esp. a tree remaining attached to the root after the trunk is cut
  4. a remaining part : stub
  5. one of the pointed rods stuck in the ground to form a cricket wicket
  6. a place or occasion for public speaking (as for a cause or candidate)
  7. the circuit followed by a maker of such speeches used esp. in the phrase on the stump
  8. to reduce to a stump : trim
  9. dare, challenge
  10. to frustrate the progress or efforts of : baffle
  11. to clear (land) of stumps
  12. to travel over (a region) making political speeches or supporting a cause
  13. to walk over heavily or clumsily
  14. stub
  15. to walk heavily or clumsily
  16. to go about making political speeches or supporting a cause
  17. a short thick roll of leather, felt, or paper usu. pointed at both ends and used for shading or blending a drawing in crayon, pencil, charcoal, pastel, or chalk
  18. to tone or treat (a drawing) with a stump

stump·age ['stəm-pij] -n

  1. the value of standing timber
  2. uncut marketable timber
  3. the right to cut it

stumptailed macaque ['stəmp-'tāl(d)-] -n

  1. a dark reddish-brown naked-faced short-tailed macaque ( Macaca arctoidessyn. M. speciosa) of eastern Asia called also stump-tailed monkey

stump work -n

  1. embroidery with intricate padded designs or scenes in high relief popular esp. in the 17th century

stumpy ['stəm-pē] -adj

  1. short and thick : stubby
  2. full of stumps

stun ['stən] -vt

  1. to make senseless, groggy, or dizzy by or as if by a blow : daze
  2. to shock with noise
  3. to overcome esp. with paralyzing astonishment or disbelief
  4. the effect of something that stuns : shock

stung ['stiŋ] -vb, adv

(variant of sting)

  1. : to prick painfully: as
  2. to pierce or wound with a poisonous or irritating process
  3. to affect with sharp quick pain or smart
    • hail stung their faces
  4. to cause to suffer acutely
    • stung with remorse
  5. overcharge, cheat
  6. to wound one with or as if with a sting
  7. to feel a keen burning pain or smart
  8. to cause such pain
  9. the act of stinging
  10. the thrust of a stinger into the flesh
  11. a wound or pain caused by or as if by stinging
  12. stinger
  13. a sharp or stinging element, force, or quality
  14. an elaborate confidence game
  15. such a game worked by undercover police in order to trap criminals

stun gun -n

  1. a weapon designed to stun or immobilize (as by electric shock) rather than kill or injure the one affected

stunk ['stiŋk] -vi, adj

(variant of stink)

  1. to emit a strong offensive odor
    • stank of urine
  2. to be offensive
    • the election stank of corruption
  3. to be in bad repute
  4. to possess something to an offensive degree
    • stink ing with wealth
  5. to be extremely bad or unpleasant
    • the performance stank
    • that news really stink s
  6. a strong offensive odor : stench
  7. a public outcry against something : fuss
    • made a big stink when asked to leave

stun·ner ['stə-nər] -n

  1. one that stuns or is stunning

stunning -adj, adv

  1. causing astonishment or disbelief
    • stunning news
  2. strikingly impressive esp. in beauty or excellence
    • a stunning view
    • stunning workmanship

stunt ['stənt] -vt, n

  1. to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of
  2. one (as an animal) that is stunted
  3. a check in growth
  4. a plant disease in which dwarfing occurs
  5. an unusual or difficult feat requiring great skill or daring
  6. one performed or undertaken chiefly to gain attention or publicity
  7. a shifting or switching of the positions by defensive players at the line of scrimmage in football to disrupt the opponent's blocking efforts
  8. to perform or engage in a stunt

stunt·man ['stənt-,man] -n

  1. a man who performs stunts
  2. one who doubles for an actor during the filming of stunts and dangerous scenes

stunt·wom·an [-,wu̇-mən] -n

  1. a woman who doubles for an actress during the filming of stunts and dangerous scenes

stu·pa ['stü-pə] -n

  1. a usu. dome-shaped structure (as a mound) serving as a Buddhist shrine

stupe ['stüp, 'styüp] -n

  1. a hot wet often medicated cloth applied externally (as to stimulate circulation)
  2. a stupid person : dolt

stu·pe·fac·tion [,stü-pə-'fak-shən, ,styü-] -n

  1. the act of stupefying : the state of being stupefied

stu·pe·fy ['stü-pə-,fī, 'styü-] -vt, adv

  1. to make stupid, groggy, or insensible
  2. astonish, astound

stu·pen·dous [stu̇-'pen-dəs, styu̇-] -adj, adv, n

  1. causing astonishment or wonder : awesome, marvelous
  2. of amazing size or greatness : tremendous

stu·pid ['stü-pəd, 'styü-] -adj, adv, n

  1. slow of mind : obtuse
  2. given to unintelligent decisions or acts : acting in an unintelligent or careless manner
  3. lacking intelligence or reason : brutish
  4. dulled in feeling or sensation : torpid
    • still stupid from the sedative
  5. marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting : senseless
    • a stupid decision
  6. lacking interest or point
    • a stupid event
  7. vexatious, exasperating
    • the stupid car won't start

stupid -n

  1. a stupid person

stu·pid·i·ty [stu̇-'pi-də-tē, styu̇-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being stupid
  2. a stupid idea or act

stu·por ['stü-pər, 'styü-] -n

  1. a condition of greatly dulled or completely suspended sense or sensibility
    • a drunken stupor
  2. a state of extreme apathy or torpor resulting often from stress or shock : daze

stu·por·ous ['stü-p(ə-)rəs, 'styü-] -adj

  1. marked or affected by or as if by stupor
    • had been taken, gray and stuporous, to the hospital -- Oliver Sacks

stur·dy ['stər-dē] -adj, adv, n

  1. firmly built or constituted : stout
  2. hardy
    • sturdy plants
  3. sound in design or execution : substantial
  4. marked by or reflecting physical strength or vigor
  5. firm, resolute
  6. rugged, stable

stur·geon ['stər-jən] -n

  1. any of a family (Acipenseridae) of usu. large elongate anadromous or freshwater bony fishes which are widely distributed in the north temperate zone and whose roe is made into caviar

Sturm und Drang [,shtu̇rm-u̇nt-'dräŋ, ,stu̇rm-, -ənt-] -n

  1. a late 18th century German literary movement characterized by works containing rousing action and high emotionalism that often deal with the individual's revolt against society
  2. turmoil

sturt ['stərt] -n

  1. contention

stut·ter ['stə-tər] -vb, n

  1. to speak with involuntary disruption or blocking of speech (as by spasmodic repetition or prolongation of vocal sounds)
  2. to move or act in a halting or spasmodic manner
    • the old jalopy bucks and stutter s uphill -- William Cleary
  3. to say, speak, or sound with or as if with a stutter

stutter -n

  1. an act or instance of stuttering
  2. a speech disorder involving stuttering

stutter step -n, vb

  1. a momentary hesitation or false step by a runner (as in football) done to fake a defender out of position

STV -abbr

  1. subscription television

sty ['stī] -n

  1. pigpen
  2. to lodge or keep in a sty
  3. to live in a sty
  4. an inflamed swelling of a sebaceous gland at the margin of an eyelid

sty·gian ['sti-j(ē-)ən] -adj

  1. of or relating to the river Styx
  2. extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding
    • the stygian blackness of the cave

styl- -comb form

  1. style : styloid process
    • stylo podium
    • stylo graphy

sty·lar ['stī-lər, -,lär] -adj

  1. of or relating to the style of a plant ovary

style ['stī(-ə)l] -n, adj

  1. designation, title
  2. a distinctive manner of expression (as in writing or speech)
    • writes with more attention to style than to content
    • the flowery style of 18th century prose
  3. a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself
    • the formal style of the court
    • his style is abrasive
  4. a particular mode of living
    • in high style
  5. a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed
    • a unique style of horseback riding
    • the classical style of dance
  6. stylus
  7. gnomon
  8. the filiform usu. elongated part of the pistil bearing a stigma at its apex
  9. a slender elongated process (as a bristle) on an animal
  10. a distinctive quality, form, or type of something
    • a new dress style
    • the Greek style of architecture
  11. the state of being popular : fashion
    • clothes that are always in style
  12. fashionable elegance
  13. beauty, grace, or ease of manner or technique
    • an awkward moment she handled with style
  14. a convention with respect to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and typographic arrangement and display followed in writing or printing
  15. to call or designate by an identifying term : name
  16. to give a particular style to
  17. to design, make, or arrange in accord with the prevailing mode

style·book -n

  1. a book explaining, describing, or illustrating a prevailing, accepted, or authorized style

sty·let [stī-'let, 'stī-lət] -n

  1. a slender surgical probe
  2. a thin wire inserted into a catheter to maintain rigidity or into a hollow needle to maintain patency
  3. a pointed instrument (as for graving)
  4. a relatively rigid elongated organ or appendage (as a piercing mouthpart) of an animal
  5. stiletto

sty·li·form ['stī-lə-,fȯrm] -adj

  1. resembling a style : bristle-shaped
    • a styliform copulatory organ

styling -n

  1. the way in which something is styled

styl·ise ['stī(-ə)-,līz] -vt, n

(variant of stylize)

  1. to conform to a conventional style
  2. to represent or design according to a style or stylistic pattern rather than according to nature or tradition

styl·ish ['stī-lish] -adj, adv, n

  1. having style
  2. conforming to current fashion

styl·ist ['stī-list] -n

  1. a master or model of style
  2. a writer or speaker who is eminent in matters of style
  3. a person (as a writer or singer) noted for a distinctive style
  4. a person who develops, designs, or advises on styles
  5. hairstylist

sty·lis·tic [stī-'lis-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating esp. to literary or artistic style

sty·lis·tics [stī-'lis-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. an aspect of literary study that emphasizes the analysis of various elements of style (as metaphor and diction)
  2. the study of the devices in a language that produce expressive value

sty·lite ['stī-,līt] -n, adj

  1. a Christian ascetic living atop a pillar

styl·ize ['stī(-ə)-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to conform to a conventional style
  2. to represent or design according to a style or stylistic pattern rather than according to nature or tradition

sty·lo·bate ['stī-lə-,bāt] -n

  1. a continuous flat coping or pavement supporting a row of architectural columns

sty·log·ra·phy [stī-'lä-grə-fē] -n

  1. a mode of writing or tracing lines by means of a style or similar instrument

sty·loid ['stī(-ə)-,lȯid] -adj

  1. resembling a style : styliform used esp. of slender pointed skeletal processes (as on the ulna)

sty·lus ['stī-ləs] -n

  1. : an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: as
  2. an instrument used by the ancients in writing on clay or waxed tablets
  3. a hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a reproducing machine
  4. needle
  5. a cutting tool used to produce an original record groove during disc recording
  6. a pen-shaped pointing device used for entering data (as positional information from a graphics tablet) into a computer

sty·mie ['stī-mē] -vt

  1. to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of
    • stymied by red tape

styp·tic ['stip-tik] -adj, n

  1. tending to contract or bind : astringent
  2. tending to check bleeding

styptic pencil -n

  1. a stick of a medicated styptic substance for use esp. in shaving to stop the bleeding from small cuts

sty·rax ['stī-,raks] -n

  1. storax

sty·rene ['stī-,rēn] -n

  1. a fragrant liquid unsaturated hydrocarbon C 8H 8used chiefly in making synthetic rubber, resins, and plastics and in improving drying oils
  2. any of various synthetic plastics made from styrene by polymerization or copolymerization

Sty·ro·foam ['stī-rə-,fōm] -trademark

  1. used for an expanded rigid polystyrene plastic

Styx ['stiks] -n

  1. the principal river of the underworld in Greek mythology