English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

stimulated

adj

Made more active, alert, or interested.

stimulating

adj

Arousing interest, energy, or thought.

stimulation

noun

The act of encouraging activity or response, or the state of being encouraged.

stimulus

noun

Something that triggers a reaction or response.

sting

noun

A sharp pain, or the puncture and injection of venom by an insect or animal.

stinger

noun

The pointed body part an insect or animal uses to sting.

stinging

adj

Capable of causing a sharp pain, or itself sharply painful.

stingray

noun

A flat-bodied ray with a whip-like tail bearing a venomous barb.

stingy

adj

Unwilling to spend, give, or share; miserly.

stink

verb

To give off a strong, unpleasant smell.

stinker

noun

Something or someone unpleasant, difficult, or of poor quality.

stinking

adj

Having a strong, unpleasant smell.

stinks

noun

British school slang for chemistry class.

stinky

adj

Having a strong, unpleasant smell.

Stinson

name

An English surname meaning "son of Stephen."

stint

noun

A period of time spent doing a particular job or activity.

stipe

noun

The stalk-like stem of a mushroom, seaweed, or similar organism.

stipend

noun

A regular, fixed payment for services — often given to clergy, students, interns, or public officials instead of a full wage.

stipulate

verb

To state clearly as a required condition of an agreement or contract.

stipulated

adj

Set out as a required condition in an agreement.

stipulation

noun

A specific condition written into an agreement or contract.

stir

verb

To mix a liquid or substance by moving an object like a spoon through it.

Stirling

name

A Scottish surname and city in central Scotland, also used as a given name.

stirring

adj

Deeply moving or inspiring; capable of provoking strong emotion.

stirrup

noun

A loop or ring hanging from a saddle that a rider rests a foot in while mounting or riding a horse.

stitch

noun

A single loop of thread made by a needle in sewing, knitting, or in closing a wound.

stitching

noun

A row or pattern of stitches, or the act of sewing them.

stock

noun

The goods a shop or business keeps available to sell.

stockade

noun

A defensive fence or enclosure made of upright wooden posts.

stockbroker

noun

Someone who buys and sells shares for clients, often also giving investment advice.

stocked

adj

Supplied or filled with goods.

stockholder

noun

A person or entity that owns shares in a company.

Stockholm

name

The capital and largest city of Sweden.

stocking

noun

A close-fitting garment covering the foot and leg, usually made of thin, stretchy fabric.

stockman

noun

A person, especially in Australia or the western US, who works with and manages livestock.

stockpile

noun

A large stored supply of something kept for future use.

stockpiling

noun

The act of building up a large reserve supply of something.

stockroom

noun

A room where a store or business keeps its inventory.

stocks

noun

A historical wooden device with holes for the hands and feet, used to publicly restrain and punish offenders.

Stockwell

name

An English surname, also the name of a district in south London.

stocky

adj

Solidly and compactly built, with a broad, muscular frame.

Stoddard

name

An English surname, historically an occupational name for a keeper of horses.

stoic

adj

Enduring pain or hardship without complaint or visible emotion.

stoke

verb

To add fuel to a fire to keep it burning, or to feed a furnace.

stoked

adj

Very excited or enthusiastic.

stoker

noun

A person who tends a fire or furnace, especially on a steamship or steam train.

stokes

noun

A unit of kinematic viscosity used in physics, measuring how thick or resistant a fluid is to flow.

stole

noun

A long scarf-like garment, often made of fur or fabric, worn draped over the shoulders.

stolen

adj

Taken from someone without permission or right.

Stoller

name

A surname of German origin.

stomach

noun

The organ in the body where food is stored and begins to be digested.

stomachache

noun

A pain in the belly, often from indigestion or eating something disagreeable.

stomp

verb

To step down heavily and forcefully, often out of anger.

stomping

noun

The act of stepping down heavily and repeatedly.

stone

noun

A hard natural material, or a piece of it, such as rock or a pebble.

Stonebridge

name

An English surname and place name, originally denoting someone who lived near a stone bridge.

stoned

adj

Under the influence of a drug, especially cannabis.

Stonehenge

noun

The famous prehistoric circle of huge standing stones on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England.

stoner

noun

Someone who smokes cannabis regularly, especially as part of their lifestyle or identity.

Stones

noun

(vulgar, slang) The testicles.

stonewall

verb

To deliberately block progress by refusing to answer questions, give information, or cooperate.

stonewalling

noun

A refusal to cooperate or give a straight answer, used to block progress on an issue.

Stoney

noun

A member of the Nakoda people, a First Nation related to the Sioux, traditionally living in what is now southern Alberta, Canada.

stoning

noun

The act of executing or punishing someone by having a crowd throw stones at them until they die.

Stony

adj

Covered with or full of stones.

stooge

noun

Someone who lets themselves be used by others, usually to take the blame or do the dirty work.

stool

noun

A simple seat for one person with no back or armrests.

stoop

verb

To bend the body forward and down.

stooped

adj

Bent forward at the shoulders, often from age or long habit.

stop

verb

To cease moving or to bring something to a halt.

stoplight

noun

A traffic signal that uses red, amber, and green lights to control traffic.

stopover

noun

A short stop or break during a longer journey.

stopped

adj

No longer moving; having come to a halt.

stopper

noun

A plug or cork used to close the opening of a bottle or container.

stopping

noun

The act of bringing something to a halt.

stopwatch

noun

A handheld or wearable timer used to measure exactly how long something takes.

storage

noun

The act of keeping something in a place until it is needed, or the space used for this.

store

verb

To keep something in a particular place for future use.

storefront

noun

The street-facing front of a shop, including its windows and entrance.

storehouse

noun

A building used to keep goods or supplies.

storekeeper

noun

The owner or manager of a shop.

storeroom

noun

A room set aside for storing things.

storey

noun

A level or floor of a building.

storing

noun

The activity of keeping something put away until it is needed.

stork

noun

A large long-legged wading bird with a long straight bill.

storm

noun

A period of violent weather with strong winds and often rain, thunder, or snow.

storming

noun

A violent assault made to seize a place by force.

Storms

name

A surname of Dutch origin.

stormy

adj

Marked by storms or violent weather.

story

noun

An account, true or invented, of events told for information or entertainment.

storybook

noun

A book of stories, typically written for children.

storyline

noun

The plot of a story, film, or show.

storyteller

noun

Someone skilled at telling stories.

storytelling

noun

The craft of telling stories.

stout

adj

Solidly built; somewhat fat.

stove

noun

An appliance used for cooking food, usually with hotplates or burners.

stow

verb

To pack or put something away neatly, especially in a compact space.

stowaway

noun

Someone who hides aboard a ship, plane, or train to travel without paying or being noticed.

Stowe

name

An English surname and place name; also the surname of writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Stoy

name

A surname of German or Czech origin.

straddle

verb

To sit or stand with one leg on each side of something.

Stradivarius

noun

A violin or other stringed instrument crafted by the Stradivari family, especially the master luthier Antonio Stradivari.

straight

adjective

Extending in one direction without bending or curving.

straightaway

noun

A straight, unbending section of a road or racetrack.

straighten

verb

To make something straight, or to become straight.

straightening

noun

The process of making something straight.

straighter

adjective

More straight; the comparative form of "straight."

straightforward

adjective

Simple and easy to understand or do, without unnecessary complication.

strain

verb

To injure a muscle or tendon by overstretching or overusing it.

strained

adjective

Tense, forced, or lacking in ease, especially describing a relationship or expression.

straining

noun

The act of exerting great effort, especially with the muscles.

strait

noun

A narrow stretch of water that connects two larger seas or bodies of water.

straitjacket

noun

A restrictive garment with long sleeves that bind the arms across the body, used to stop someone from hurting themselves or others.

Straker

name

An English surname, historically an occupational name for a person who managed a stud farm or bred horses.

strand

noun

One of the individual threads or wires twisted together to make a rope, cable, or cord.

stranded

adjective

Left in a place with no way to leave or continue; abandoned somewhere without help.

Strang

name

A Scottish surname, a variant of "Strong," historically a nickname for a powerful person.

strange

adjective

Unusual, odd, or surprising, and not what you would expect.

strangely

adverb

In an odd or unusual way.

strangeness

noun

The quality of being odd, unusual, or hard to place.

stranger

noun

A person you do not know.

strangle

verb

To kill or injure someone by squeezing their throat and cutting off their air.

stranglehold

noun

A grip or level of control so tight that it chokes off any freedom of movement or action.

strangler

noun

A person who kills by strangling.

strangles

noun

A contagious bacterial infection in horses that causes swollen lymph nodes and breathing difficulty.

strangling

noun

The act of killing someone by choking off their air supply.

strangulation

noun

The act, or the resulting state, of being choked to death by pressure on the throat.

strap

noun

A narrow strip of leather, fabric, or similar material used to fasten, carry, or hold something in place.

strapless

adjective

Having no shoulder straps, especially describing a dress or top.

strapped

adjective

Short of money.

strapping

adjective

Tall, strong, and physically robust.

Strasbourg

name

A city in eastern France, capital of the Alsace region and seat of the European Parliament.

Strasser

name

A surname of German origin, denoting someone from a place called Strass or living on a street.

strata

noun

In Australian and some other legal systems, a form of ownership covering individual units within a larger building, such as an apartment complex.

stratagem

noun

A clever plan or trick, especially one meant to outwit an opponent.

strategic

adjective

Relating to a carefully thought-out plan aimed at achieving a long-term goal.

strategically

adverb

In a manner that reflects careful, goal-driven planning.

strategist

noun

Someone skilled at planning how to achieve a long-term goal, especially in business, politics, or the military.

strategize

verb

To work out a plan for achieving a goal.

strategy

noun

A carefully worked-out plan for reaching a particular goal, especially over the long term.

Stratford

name

An English place name and surname, most famously Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

stratosphere

noun

The layer of the atmosphere above the one we live in, where temperature actually rises with altitude because ozone absorbs UV radiation.

Stratton

name

An English surname and place name, originally meaning "settlement on a Roman road."

Strauss

name

A German surname meaning "ostrich" or "bouquet," notably borne by composer Johann Strauss and jeans founder Levi Strauss.

Stravinsky

name

A Russian surname, most famously borne by composer Igor Stravinsky.

straw

noun

Dried stalks left over from cereal crops like wheat, used for bedding, fodder, or thatch.

strawberry

noun

A soft, red, juicy fruit covered in tiny seeds, or the low plant it grows on.

stray

verb

To wander away from where you should be, or to drift off a planned path or topic.

strayed

adj

Wandered away and lost, having drifted off course.

straying

noun

The act of wandering away, whether physically or from what one is supposed to be doing — including, informally, being unfaithful in a relationship.