English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Stacie

name

A feminine given name, an alternate spelling of Stacey.

stack

noun

A pile of things placed neatly one on top of another.

stacked

adj

Arranged in a pile, one on top of the other.

Stackhouse

name

An English surname, originally referring to someone who lived near a stack, or storage building, of hay or grain.

stacking

noun

The act of piling things on top of each other.

stacks

noun

Informal: a large amount of money, especially winnings.

Stacy

noun

Slang for an attractive, popular, and confident woman, often used as the female counterpart to "Chad" in internet culture.

stadium

noun

A large venue, usually with tiered seating, built for sporting events or concerts.

staff

noun

The people who work for an organisation.

staffed

adj

Having workers assigned to run or operate something.

staffer

noun

A member of an organisation's staff, especially in politics, media, or an office.

staffing

noun

The process of hiring and organising the people needed to run something.

Stafford

name

The county town of Staffordshire in England, and the surname and given name derived from it.

stag

noun

An adult male deer, especially a mature red deer.

stage

noun

A phase or step in a process of change or development.

Stagecoach

noun

A horse-drawn carriage that once carried passengers and mail on a fixed route.

staged

adj

Deliberately arranged to look real or spontaneous when it isn't.

Stagg

name

An English surname, notably borne by the American football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg.

stagger

verb

To walk unsteadily, as if about to fall.

staggered

adj

Shocked or taken aback.

staggering

adj

So great or surprising as to be hard to believe.

staging

noun

The act of putting on a performance, including how it's arranged and directed.

stagnant

adj

Not flowing or moving, and therefore often stale or unhealthy — usually said of water.

Stahl

name

A surname of German origin meaning "steel."

stain

noun

A discoloured mark left by a substance that soaks into a surface.

stained

adj

Marked or discoloured by a stain.

Staines

name

A town in Surrey, England, and an occasional surname.

stainless

adj

Describing a metal alloy that resists rust and corrosion.

Stains

name

A surname, an occasional variant of Staines.

stair

noun

A single step in a flight of steps.

staircase

noun

A full flight of stairs together with its structure and railing.

stairs

noun

A connected series of steps used to move between floors.

stairway

noun

A set of stairs, especially considered as a passage or route.

stairwell

noun

The vertical shaft in a building that contains a staircase.

stake

noun

A pointed piece of wood or metal driven into the ground as a marker or support.

staked

adj

Marked out with stakes driven into the ground.

stakeout

noun

A period of covert surveillance of a place or person, usually by police.

stakes

noun

Money or property risked on the outcome of a bet or contest.

staking

noun

The act of driving a stake or stakes into the ground to mark or support something.

stalag

noun

A German prisoner-of-war camp, especially one from World War II.

stale

adj

No longer fresh; dried out or gone off, especially food or drink.

stalemate

noun

In chess, a position where the player to move has no legal move and is not in check, ending the game as a draw.

Stalin

noun

Used as an insult for someone seen as an extremely controlling or ruthless dictator-type figure, comparable to calling someone "a Hitler."

Stalingrad

name

The former name of the Russian city of Volgograd, site of a pivotal Second World War battle.

stalk

noun

The stem of a plant, or a similar stem-like part.

stalked

adj

Having a stalk or stem.

stalker

noun

A person who repeatedly and obsessively follows or watches someone, often unlawfully.

stalking

noun

The crime of repeatedly following or harassing someone in a way that causes fear.

stall

noun

A small stand or booth where goods are sold, as in a market.

stalling

noun

The act of delaying or failing to make progress.

stallion

noun

An adult male horse, especially one kept uncastrated for breeding.

Stallone

name

An Italian surname, notably borne by the American actor Sylvester Stallone.

Stalls

name

A surname, likely derived from residence near a market stall.

stalwart

adj

Strongly and solidly built; sturdy.

Stamford

name

A town in Lincolnshire, England, and the name of a city in Connecticut, US.

stamina

noun

The physical or mental energy needed to keep doing something demanding over a long time.

stammer

verb

To speak with involuntary repetitions or pauses, unable to get words out smoothly.

stammering

noun

The act or habit of speaking with a stammer.

stamp

noun

A small piece of paper affixed to mail to show that postage has been paid.

stampede

noun

A sudden, wild rush of frightened animals running together.

stamper

noun

A person or tool that stamps or presses down a mark.

stamping

noun

The sound or act of stamping the feet.

stan

noun

An extremely obsessive fan of a celebrity, group, or franchise, especially one whose devotion crosses into unhealthy territory.

stance

noun

The way someone stands, including their posture and the position of their feet.

stand

verb

To be upright on one's feet, or to rise into that position.

standard

adj

Usual, regular, or typical; falling within an accepted, expected range.

standardized

adj

Made to conform to a single official or agreed set of rules or measurements.

standby

noun

A state of being ready to act at short notice.

standing

adj

Remaining in effect on an ongoing basis.

standish

noun

A stand or holder for pens, ink, and other writing tools, once common on desks before modern pens existed.

standoff

noun

A tense confrontation in which neither side backs down or advances.

standout

adj

Exceptionally good; clearly better than the rest.

standpoint

noun

A particular point of view or way of judging a situation.

standstill

noun

A complete stop; a state where nothing is moving or progressing.

Stanfield

name

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "stony field."

Stanford

name

An English surname and place name, and (capitalized) the name of a prestigious private university in California.

Stanhope

noun

A light, open, two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a high seat and no roof over the back.

Stanislav

name

A masculine given name of Slavic origin, meaning "glorious stand" or "one who achieves glory."

stank

verb

Past tense of stink; smelled bad.

Stanley

name

A male given name, popular in the early 20th century, and a common English surname originally referring to a "stony meadow."

Stanton

name

An English surname and the name of several towns, originally meaning "stone enclosure" or "stone settlement."

staph

noun

A common type of bacteria (Staphylococcus) that lives on skin and can cause infections ranging from minor boils to serious illness.

staple

noun

A basic food or item that is used regularly and is essential to daily life.

stapled

adj

Fastened together using a staple or staples.

stapler

noun

A small hand-operated device that fastens sheets of paper together by driving a metal staple through them.

Staples

name

An English surname, and the name of a well-known office supply retail chain.

Stapleton

name

An English surname and place name meaning "settlement by a post or pillar."

star

noun

A huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion.

Starbase

noun

A fictional space station or military outpost used as a base for spacecraft, common in science fiction.

starboard

noun

The right-hand side of a ship or aircraft when facing forward.

Starbuck

name

An English surname, notably the first mate in "Moby-Dick" and the inspiration for the Starbucks coffee brand.

Starbucks

name

A large international chain of coffee shops.

starburst

noun

A sudden burst or explosion, or a star-shaped pattern of light suggesting one.

starch

noun

A carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and grains, used by the body for energy.

starched

adj

Treated with starch and made stiff, especially describing clothing.

stardate

noun

A fictional unit of date and time used in Star Trek instead of ordinary calendar dates.

stardom

noun

The state of being a famous performer or celebrity.

stardust

noun

Tiny particles of matter found in space, formed from material ejected by stars.

stare

verb

To look at something or someone for a long time without looking away.

Starfighter

noun

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, a real Cold War-era jet fighter aircraft designed for very high speed and altitude.

starfish

noun

A sea creature, not actually a fish, with a body typically shaped like a five-pointed star.

starfleet

noun

A fleet of spacecraft, especially as depicted in science fiction; most famously the fictional organization in Star Trek.

stargate

noun

An imagined device or portal that allows near-instant travel between two distant points in space, often through a wormhole.

stargazer

noun

A person who watches or studies the stars, whether as a hobby or professionally.

staring

adj

Looking fixedly with wide-open eyes.

stark

adj

Severe, bare, or bleak in appearance.

Starkey

name

An English surname derived from "stark," meaning strong or robust.

Starks

name

An English surname, a variant of Stark, and the name of a noble house in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels.

Starla

name

A feminine given name derived from "star."

starlet

noun

A young actress, especially one who is promising but not yet a major star.

starlight

noun

Light that comes from stars.

starling

noun

A common small to medium-sized bird known for its dark, glossy, iridescent feathers and noisy flocking behaviour.

starr

noun

Historically, a written receipt or release given to acknowledge that a debt had been paid, used in medieval English Jewish communities.

starred

adj

Marked with a star or stars, or having appeared as a leading performer.

starring

adj

Playing the leading role in a film, show, or performance.

starry

adj

Filled with visible stars, as a clear night sky.

stars

noun

Plural of star; the glowing points of light seen in the night sky, or, informally, outer space and everything beyond Earth.

starship

noun

A spacecraft imagined or built to travel between star systems, far beyond the reach of ordinary rockets.

start

verb

To begin doing something or set something in motion.

starting

noun

The act or process of beginning something.

startle

verb

To give someone a sudden shock or fright, usually without real danger.

startled

adj

Suddenly surprised and a little frightened.

startling

adj

Surprising enough to shock or alarm; unexpected and striking.

startup

noun

A newly founded company, especially one built around a fresh idea and aiming for fast growth.

starvation

noun

The state of suffering or dying from a severe lack of food.

starve

verb

To suffer or die from lack of food.

starved

adj

Severely weakened from lack of food; emaciated.

starving

adj

Suffering severely from lack of food, or, informally, extremely hungry.

Stas

name

A masculine given name, a short form of Stanislav common in Slavic countries.

stash

verb

To put something away safely or secretly, meaning to use later.

Stasi

noun

Someone who spies on or closely monitors others in a way associated with secret police, often said of intrusive surveillance.

stasis

noun

A state of no movement or change; a standstill.

stat

adv

Right away; immediately — especially in medical or urgent contexts.

state

noun

The particular condition someone or something is in at a given time.

stated

adj

Said or written down explicitly.

stately

adj

Grand and dignified in appearance or manner.

statement

noun

Something said or written that expresses a fact, opinion, or position.

Staten

name

A surname and the name of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.

stateroom

noun

A private cabin on a ship or train, often reserved for passengers paying for extra comfort.

stateside

adj

Located in, or relating to, the United States, especially when described from abroad.

statesman

noun

A respected, experienced political leader, especially one known for wisdom and integrity rather than mere ambition.

statewide

adj

Affecting or covering an entire state (a political subdivision such as a US state).

static

adj

Not moving or changing; staying the same over time.

stating

verb

Saying or writing something clearly and directly (the -ing form of state).

station

noun

A regular stopping place for trains, buses, or other transportation.

stationary

adj

Not moving; staying in one place.

stationed

adj

Assigned or placed in a specific location to perform a duty.

stationery

noun

Writing materials — paper, pens, envelopes, and similar office supplies.

stationmaster

noun

The person in charge of running a railway station.

stations

noun

Plural of station; regular stopping places, assigned posts, or broadcasting channels.