Search the Dictionary

To produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly. She starts, and leaves her bed, amd springs a light. Dryden. The friends to the cause sprang a new project. Swift.

A noose fastened to an elastic body, and drawn close with a sudden spring, whereby it catches a bird or other animal; a gin; a snare. As a woodcock to mine own springe. Shak.

To discover by close search or examination. Look about with yout eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England. Latimer.

To sit close to the ground; to cower; to stoop, or lie close, to escape observation, as a partridge or rabbit.

To press between two bodies; to press together closely; to compress; often, to compress so as to expel juice, moisture, etc.; as, to squeeze an orange with the fingers; to squeeze the hand in friendship.

To shake and wash a fluid about in the mouth with the lips closed. [Prov. Eng.] Forby.

pierce; to thrust with a pointed weapon. None shall dare With shortened sword to stab in closer war. Dryden.

s standing in the forest, with a crossbow or a longbow bent, ready to shoot at a deer, or close by a tree with greyhounds in a leash ready to slip; -- one of the four presumptions that a man intends stealing the king's deer. Wharton.

The adult male of the red deer (Cervus elaphus), a large European species closely related to the American elk, or wapiti.

f many animals and plants; as, the larval stage; pupa stage; zoea stage. Stage box, a box close to the stage in a theater. -- Stage carriage, a stagecoach. -- Stage door, the actor's and workmen's entrance to a theater. -- Stage lights, the lights by which the stage in a theater is illuminated. -- Stage micrometer,…

s of an animal; hence, to become impure or foul by want of motion; as, air stagnates in a close room.

xive pronoun. Shak. Into the chamber he stalked him full still. Chaucer. [Bertran] stalks close behind her, like a witch's fiend, Pressing to be employed. Dryden.

A seat in the choir of a church, for one of the officiating clergy. It is inclosed, either wholly or partially, at the back and sides. The stalls are frequently very rich, with canopies and elaborate carving. The dignifird clergy, out of humanility, have called their thrones by the names of stalls. Bp. Warburton. Loud…

Strong and tight; sound; firm; as, a stanch ship. One of the closets is parqueted with plain deal, set in diamond, exceeding stanch and pretty. Evelyn.

equality of opportunity, as compulsory state insurance, old-age pensions, etc., answering closely to socialism of the chair.

y position so as to be moved with difficulty; to cling; to abide; to cleave; to be united closely. A friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Prov. xviii. 24. I am a kind of bur; I shall stick. Shak. If on your fame our sex a bolt has thrown, 'T will ever stick through malice of your own. Young.

with kisses, a sweet death he dies. Dryden. I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room. Swift.

Stifling. The close and stifled study. Hawthorne.

Extremely close and covetous; meanly avaricious; niggardly; miserly; penurious; as, a stingy churl. A stingy, narrow-hearted fellow that had a deal of choice fruit, had not the heart to touch it till it began to be rotten. L'estrange.

aining to stipules; resembling stipules; furnished with stipules; growing on stipules, or close to them; occupying the position of stipules; as, stipular glands and stipular tendrils.