stem ["stEm] 1. n. the main part of a plant above the ground, which is connected to the roots below the ground, and from which leaves or flowers grow. 2. n. the part of a word that suffixes and prefixes are added to. → from stem to stern step ["stEp] 1. n. the movement made by putting one foot in front of the other while walking. 2. n. the distance traveled by a single Q. 3. n. a flat surface that one places one’s foot on when going up or down stairs or a ladder. 4. n. an action in a series of actions in a particular order. 5. iv. to move as in Q in a certain direction. → fall in(to step) → watch one’s step step aside to move out of some- one’s path; to step out of the way. step back (from someone or something ) to move back from someone or something; to move back so as to provide space around someone or something. step on it Go to step on the gas. step on someone’s toes and tread on someone’s toes to interfere with or offend someone. step on the gas and step on it to hurry up. step out into something to go out from a place into a different set of conditions. step out of line to misbehave; to do something offensive. step out (of something ) to go out of a place. step out (on someone ) to be unfaithful to a spouse or lover. step outside 1. to go outside, as if to get some fresh air. 2. to go out- side to fight or settle an argument. step over (to) someplace to move to a place a few steps away. step right up to come right to where the speaker is; to come for- ward to the person speaking. (Used by people selling things.) step something up 1. to make something more active. 2. to make something go or run faster. step up to increase. step up to something to walk to something, especially a counter or a bar. stereo ["stEr i o] 1. adj. [of sound or electronic equipment making sound] coming from two or more speakers in a way that gives realis- tic effect. 2. n. an electronic device that produces sound coming from two or more sources, providing realistic sound reproduction. (Plural ends in -s.) stern ["st#n] 1. adj. strict; rigid in discipline. (Adv: sternly. Comp: sterner; sup: sternest.) 2. n. the rear part of a boat or ship. → from stem to stern stew ["stu] 1. n. a thick soup of vegetables and often meat cooked slowly in their own juices. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to cook something slowly in water and its own juices. 3. iv. [for food] to cook slowly in water and its own juices. stew in one’s own juice to be left alone to suffer one’s anger or dis- appointment. stem 596 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 596 TLFeBOOK stick ["stIk] 1. n. a small branch; a thin length of wood from a tree. 2. n. a thin piece of wood used for a special purpose. 3. tv., irreg. to attach something to something else with glue, tape, or something else adhesive. (Past tense and past participle: stuck.) 4. tv., irreg. to put something in a certain posi- tion. (Informal.) 5. iv., irreg. to remain attached to something with glue, tape, or something else adhesive. → end up with the short end of the stick → get the short end of the stick → have one’s words stick in one’s throat → one’s words stick in one’s throat stick around to remain in the gen- eral area; to stay in a place. (Collo- quial.) stick one’s foot in one’s mouth Go to put one’s foot in one’s mouth. stick one’s neck out to take a risk. stick one’s nose in(to something ) Go to poke one’s nose in(to something ). stick out to project outward. stick out a mile and stand out a mile to be very obvious. (Infor- mal.) stick out (from someone or some- thing ) to project outward from someone or something. stick out (of someone or some- thing ) to project from someone or something. stick someone or something up to rob someone or a business estab- lishment. (Presumably with the aid of a gun.) stick something down to fasten something down, as with glue or paste. stick something in(to someone or something ) to insert something into someone or something. stick something out 1. to cause something to project outward. 2. to endure something; to stay with something. (The something is usually it.) stick to one’s guns to remain firm in one’s convictions; to stand up for one’s rights. stick together 1. [for things] to hold or adhere to one another. 2. [for people] to remain in one another’s company. (Figurative.) sticky ["stIk i] 1. adj. adhesive. (Comp: stickier; sup: stickiest.) 2. adj. hot and humid; causing one to sweat. (Comp: stickier; sup: stickiest.) 3. adj. awkward. (Comp: stickier; sup: stickiest.) stiff ["stIf] 1. adj. rigid; not flexible; hard to bend. (Adv: stiffly. Comp: stiffer; sup: stiffest.) 2. adj. firm; almost solid; not fluid. (Adv: stiffly. Comp: stiffer; sup: stiffest.) 3. adj. harsh; severe. (Informal. Comp: stiffer; sup: stiffest.) 4. adj. very formal; not relaxed. (Adv: stiffly. Comp: stiffer; sup: stiffest.) → keep a stiff upper lip stiffen ["stIf @n] iv. to become stiff. still ["stIl] 1. adj. not moving; at rest. (Comp: stiller; sup: stillest.) 2. adj. quiet; not talking; not mak- ing noise. (Not prenominal.) 3. adv. at a time past what was expected. 4. adv. even R; yet [more]. (Comes after the adjec- still 597 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 597 TLFeBOOK tive. Used with comparisons to make them stronger.) → so still you could hear a pin drop stimulant ["stIm j@ l@nt] n. some- thing, especially a drug or chemi- cal, that keeps someone awake or causes someone to be more active. stimulate ["stIm j@ let] tv. to excite someone or something; to cause someone or something to be active or excited. sting ["stIN] 1. tv., irreg. to pierce the skin of someone or something with something sharp; [for a bee, wasp, hornet, etc.] to pierce the skin with a stinger and inject a substance that causes a burning pain. (Past tense and past partici- ple: stung.) 2. tv., irreg. to cause someone to feel a tingling or burn- ing pain. 3. iv., irreg. to be able to pierce skin as with Q. 4. iv., irreg. [for something] to hurt sharply. 5. n. the piercing of the skin as with Q and the pain that accom- panies it. 6. n. a tingling or burn- ing pain. stinger ["stIN #] n. the stinging organ of bees, hornets, etc. stink ["stINk] 1. n. a terrible smell; a very bad smell. 2. iv., irreg. to smell bad. (Past tense: stank or stunk; past participle: stunk.) stir ["st#] 1. tv. to mix something with one’s hand or with an object. 2. tv. to excite someone or an emotion; to cause someone to feel emotion or passion. 3. iv. to change position; to move about. 4. n. an exciting event; something that disturbs the usual order of things. stir someone up to get someone excited; to get someone angry. stir something up 1. to mix some- thing by stirring. 2. to create or cause trouble. stir up a hornet’s nest to create trouble or difficulties. stitch ["stItS] 1. n. one movement of a threaded needle through a fabric while sewing. 2. n. the thread that is seen after one move- ment of a threaded needle through a fabric while sewing. 3. n. a small amount of clothing. (No plural. Usually in negative constructions.) 4. n. a sharp pain. 5. tv. to sew something; to sew things together. → keep someone in stitches stitch something up to sew some- thing together; to mend a tear or ripped seam. stock ["stak] 1. n. a supply of something to be used or sold. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. a heavy broth made by cooking meats, usually with vegetables, for a long time— used to prepare sauce or soup. (Plural only for types and instances.) 3. n. the total assets of a company divided into equal shares that are usually bought and sold in a stock market. (No plural.) 4. n. [a group of] shares of E of a specific company. 5. tv. [for a store] to arrange to have Q of a product available for sale. 6. adj. [of a response that seems] trite, rehearsed, and not sincere. → have something in stock → in stock → lock, stock, and barrel stimulant 598 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 598 TLFeBOOK stock market ["stak mar k@t] 1. n. a market for the business of buy- ing and selling stocks in general. 2. n. some sort of measure of the general value of all the stocks at any one time. (Can be shortened to market.) stock up (on something ) to build up a supply of something in par- ticular. stocking ["stak IN] n. a long, knit- ted or woven sock. stockpile ["stak paIl] 1. n. a large amount of something that is stored for future use or in case of an emergency. 2. tv. to store a large amount of something for future use or in case of an emer- gency. stole ["stol] past tense of steal. stolen ["stol @n] 1. Past participle of steal. 2. adj. taken without the owner’s permission or knowledge. stomach ["st^m @k] 1. n. the organ of the body in which food is digested. 2. n. the front of the body below the chest and above the waist. → cannot stomach someone or something → have eyes bigger than one’s stomach → not able to stomach someone or something → One’s eyes are bigger than one’s stomach. → turn someone’s stomach stone ["ston] 1. n. the hard mate- rial of which rocks are made. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. a rock; a chunk of Q. 3. n. a jewel; a gem. 4. n. a small, hard object that forms in parts of the body, such as the kid- ney, and causes a lot of pain as it passes through the organ. 5. adj. made of Q. 6. tv. to throw stones W at someone or something, often as punishment or torment. → cast the first stone → have a heart of stone → kill two birds with one stone → run into a stone wall a stone’s throw away a short dis- tance; a relatively short distance. stood ["stUd] past tense and past participle of stand. → should have stood in bed stool ["stul] 1. n. a tall seat that usually has no support for one’s back or arms. 2. n. feces; waste matter that is expelled from the body. (Plural only for types and instances.) → fall between two stools stoop ["stup] 1. n. a small porch at the door of a house. 2. n. a bent posture, as if one is carrying a heavy weight on one’s shoulders. 3. iv. to bend down; to bend for- ward; to hold one’s head and shoulders downward in front of one’s body. stoop down to bend, dip, duck, or squat down. stoop over to bend over. stop ["stap] 1. tv. to end move- ment, progress, an activity, or an existence. 2. iv. to move, progress, act, or function no longer; to cease. 3. iv. to stay for a period of time. 4. n. a short visit; a short stay. 5. n. a place where a bus, train, or other vehicle stops as in E to let passengers get on and off the vehicle. 6. n. a consonant that stop 599 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 599 TLFeBOOK is made by ending the flow of the breath and suddenly releasing it. → come to a stop → pull out all the stops → put a stop to something stop by ( someplace ) to go to a place and stop and then continue. stop in ( someplace ) to pay a brief visit to a place. stop (just) short (of something ) not to go as far as something; to stop before something. stop over ( someplace ) to stay briefly at a place while on the way to another place. stop something up (with some- thing ) to plug something with something. stop up [for something] to become clogged up. stoplight ["stap laIt] n. a traffic signal that has colored lights that indicate whether drivers should stop or go. stopover ["stap ov #] n. a place where one stops briefly during a journey, especially a stop at an air- port between the city where one took off and the city that one is going to. stoppage ["stap IdZ] n. an orga- nized strike; the organized stop- ping of work, such as during a disagreement between labor and management. stopwatch ["stap watS] n. a watch that can be started or stopped at any moment, used to determine how long something lasts. storage ["stor IdZ] 1. n. keeping or storing [things]. (No plural.) 2. n. a place for storing things. (No plu- ral.) → in storage store ["stor] 1. n. a shop where goods or products are sold. 2. n. a supply of something. 3. tv. to keep something someplace so that it can be used later. → department store → grocery (store) → set great store by someone or something storekeeper ["stor kip #] n. some- one who owns or manages a store. storeroom ["stor rum] n. a room where things are stored. stork ["stork] n. a large bird with a long, sharp beak and a long neck. storm ["storm] 1. n. a period of severe weather with very strong winds, heavy rain or snow, and sometimes thunder and lightning. 2. n. a violent attack or burst of anger. (Figurative on Q.) 3. tv. to attack something with force. 4. iv. [for the weather] to be severe, with strong winds, heavy rain or snow, and sometimes thunder and lightning. → eye of the storm → kick up a storm → the lull before the storm → take someone or something by storm storm door ["storm dor] n. a sec- ond door, outside the regular door, that keeps cold, wind, snow, or rain from entering. storm in(to someplace ) to burst into something or someplace angrily. A storm is brewing. 1. There is going to be a storm. 2. There is going to be trouble. stop by (someplace) 600 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 600 TLFeBOOK storm out (of someplace ) to leave or burst out of someplace angrily. storm window ["storm wIn do] n. a second window, placed outside a regular window, that keeps cold, wind, snow, or rain from entering a room or building. story ["stor i] 1. n. an account of something that has happened. 2. n. a tale; an account that is fic- tion, told or written for entertain- ment or amusement. 3. n. a lie. 4. n. a news report; an article of news. 5. n. one level of a building; one layer from floor to ceiling in a building. (In the United States, the floor on ground level is the first story.) → cock-and-bull story → make a long story short → shaggy-dog story → tall story → tell its own story stout ["staUt] adj. wide; fat; weigh- ing too much. (Adv: stoutly. Comp: stouter; sup: stoutest.) stove ["stov] n. an appliance that usually contains an oven and has burners on the top, used for cook- ing. straight ["stret] 1. adj. not bent or curved; direct; continuing in the same direction. (Adv: straightly. Comp: straighter; sup: straightest.) 2. adj. honest; sincere; telling the truth. (Adv: straightly. Comp: straighter; sup: straightest.) 3. adj. without an interruption; continu- ous. (E.g., 5 straight hours; five hours straight.) 4. adv. [going] directly [to a place without mak- ing a detour]. 5. adv. [moving] in a line that is Q; without turning. 6. adv. upright. → get something straight → get the facts straight → keep a straight face → set someone straight → vote a straight ticket straight from the horse’s mouth from an authoritative or depend- able source. straight from the shoulder [spo- ken] sincerely and frankly. straight out frankly; directly. (Informal.) straighten out 1. to become straight. 2. to improve one’s behavior or attitude. straighten someone out 1. to make someone’s body straight or orderly. 2. to scold someone about an issue; to cause someone to behave better. straighten something out to bring order to something that is crooked or disorderly. straighten something up to make something less messy. straighten up 1. to sit or stand more vertically. 2. to behave bet- ter. strain ["stren] 1. tv. to stretch or pull something, especially as much as possible or in a way that causes injury. 2. tv. to separate liquid from something solid by pouring it through a filter. 3. tv. to place something under a burden; to place tension on something. (Fig- urative on Q.) 4. iv. to stretch tightly; to work hard and carry a heavy load. 5. iv. to use a lot of effort to do something. 6. n. a burden or problem that causes someone distress. 7. n. an injury to a muscle caused by stretching it or strain 601 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 601 TLFeBOOK pulling it too hard. 8. n. a variety of plant, bacterium, or virus. strand ["strAnd] 1. n. one thread of a rope; one wire of a cable; a thread; a fiber. 2. tv. to cause someone or something to be stuck or held at a location. strange ["strendZ] 1. adj. unusual; odd; peculiar; not normal or usual. (Adv: strangely. Comp: stranger; sup: strangest.) 2. adj. not familiar; not usually experienced. (Adv: strangely. Comp: stranger; sup: strangest.) stranger ["strendZ #] n. someone who is not known to oneself; someone who is not familiar to oneself. a stranger to something or some- place someone who is new to an area or place. strap ["strAp] 1. n. a strong, nar- row strip of material used to secure something. 2. tv. to secure someone or something with a strong, narrow strip of leather or other material. straw ["strO] 1. n. dried stalks of the plants on which grain grows. (No plural. Number is expressed with piece(s) of straw.) 2. n. a plas- tic or paper tube used for drinking a liquid by sucking. 3. adj. made of Q; containing Q. → That’s the last straw. → That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. strawberry ["strO bEr i] 1. n. a small, soft, red fruit that has tiny seeds on its surface. 2. adj. made with or flavored with Q. stray ["stre] 1. adj. wandering. 2. adj. occurring or arriving by chance. 3. iv. to wander; to become lost; to leave the main path or topic. 4. n. an animal that is lost; an animal that wanders around and has no home. streak ["strik] 1. n. a long, thin line or stripe. 2. n. a period of time during which something is con- stant; a period of time during which something is not inter- rupted. 3. tv. to mark something with long, thin lines or stripes. 4. iv. to flow or race along in long, thin lines or stripes. 5. iv. to run or move somewhere very fast. → talk a blue streak stream ["strim] 1. n. a small river. 2. n. a steady flow of something, especially something liquid. 3. iv. to flow somewhere steadily and in large amounts. stream down (on someone or something ) [for a liquid or light] to flow downward onto someone or something. stream in(to something ) to flow or rush into something. streamer ["strim #] n. a very long, thin strip of paper or ribbon used as a decoration during a ceremony, parade, or celebration. street ["strit] n. a road, usually one in a city or a town that has build- ings or parks beside it. (Abbrevi- ated St. in addresses.) → the man in the street → side street streetlight ["strit laIt] n. a light, usually on a pole, that lights a street when it is dark outside. strength ["strENkT] 1. n. the qual- ity of being strong. (No plural.) 2. n. a virtue; a good feature of strand 602 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 602 TLFeBOOK someone or something. (Figura- tive on Q.) → not know one’s own strength → a pillar of strength → a tower of strength stress ["strEs] 1. n. the pressure caused by something that is heavy; strain. (No plural.) 2. n. the men- tal pressure caused by something that is difficult or demanding; mental tension. (Figurative on Q.) 3. n. emphasis placed on a syllable when speaking by saying it louder or in a different tone. (Plural only for types and instances.) 4. n. emphasis. (No plural.) 5. tv. to place E on a syllable when speak- ing. 6. tv. to place emphasis or focus on something. (The object can be a clause with that U.) stretch ["strEtS] 1. tv. to extend something. 2. iv. to be elastic; to be able to be pulled without break- ing. 3. n. a continuous area of land. 4. n. a continuous period of time. → at a stretch stretch one’s legs to walk around after sitting or lying down for a time. stretch out 1. to become wider; to become longer; to lengthen. 2. [for something] to spread one’s arms and legs out over time or space. 3. to lie down on a bed and spread out to nap or sleep. stretch someone or something out to extend or draw out someone or something. stretch something out (to some- one or something ) to reach some- thing out to someone or something. stretcher ["strEtS #] n. a device like a light bed or cot, used to carry someone who is sick or dead. strict ["strIkt] 1. adj. [of rules or discipline] severe, harsh, or demanding. (Adv: strictly. Comp: stricter; sup: strictest.) 2. adj. absolute; exact. (Adv: strictly. Comp: stricter; sup: strictest.) (strictly) on the level honest; dependably open and fair. stridden ["strId n] Past participle of stride. stride ["straId] 1. n. the length of one’s step while walking. 2. n. a long step made while walking. 3. iv., irreg. to walk by taking long steps. (Past tense: strode; past par- ticiple: stridden. The past partici- ple is rarely used.) → take something in stride strife ["straIf] n. fighting; a bitter struggle; a heated argument or battle. (No plural.) strike ["straIk] 1. tv., irreg. to hit someone or something; to hit something against something; to crash into something. (Past tense and past participle: struck.) 2. tv., irreg. to attack someone or some- thing. 3. tv., irreg. to light a match; to cause something to burn with fire. 4. tv., irreg. to discover some- thing underneath the ground by digging or drilling. 5. iv., irreg. [for a group of workers] to refuse to work until their demands are met. 6. iv., irreg. to attack. 7. iv., irreg. to make contact; to have a negative effect [on someone or something]. 8. iv., irreg. [for a clock] to make a sound like a bell to tell what time it is. 9. n. the strike 603 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 603 TLFeBOOK state that exists when workers refuse to work during a labor dis- pute. 10. n. [in baseball] a penalty given to a player who swings the bat and misses the ball, who hits the ball foul, or who does not swing the bat when the umpire thinks that the ball went by the batter in a location that the batter could have hit it. 11. n. [in bowl- ing] an instance of knocking over all the pins at once. → be (out) on strike → get two strikes against one → go (out) on strike strike a balance (between two things ) to find a satisfactory com- promise between two extremes. strike a chord (with someone ) to cause someone to remember something; to remind someone or something; to be familiar. strike a happy medium and hit a happy medium to find a com- promise position; to arrive at a position halfway between two unacceptable extremes. strike a match to light a match. strike a pose to position oneself in a certain posture. strike a sour note and hit a sour note to signify something unpleasant. strike back (at someone or some- thing ) to return the blows of someone or something; to return the attack of someone or some- thing. strike for something to conduct a work stoppage in order to gain something. strike home Go to hit home. strike it rich to acquire wealth suddenly. strike out 1. [for a baseball player] to accumulate three strikes, end- ing that turn at bat. 2. to have a series of failures. (Figurative.) strike out (at someone or some- thing ) to hit at someone or some- thing with the intention of threatening or doing harm. strike someone as something [for a thought or behavior] to affect someone a certain way. strike someone funny to seem funny to someone. strike someone’s fancy to appeal to someone. strike something down [for a court] to invalidate a law. strike up a friendship to become friends (with someone). strike while the iron is hot to do something at the best possible time, while there is an appropriate opportunity. string ["strIN] 1. n. a thin rope or a thick thread, especially used for tying something, binding some- thing, or suspending something in the air. (No plural.) 2. n. a length of Q or thread. 3. n. a wire or cord that is stretched tight and is used to produce sound in certain musical instruments. 4. n. a cord used to form the tightly pulled “net” found in a tennis racket and similar sports equipment. 5. n. a number of people or things in a row. 6. tv., irreg. to put E or R on a guitar, violin, tennis racket, etc. (Past tense and past participle: strung.) 7. tv., irreg. to place some- strike a balance (between two things) 604 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 604 TLFeBOOK thing on W. (E.g., to string beads.) 8. tv., irreg. to stretch something that is like Q from one place to another. → control the purse strings → tied to one’s mother’s apron strings → with no strings attached → without any strings attached string someone along to maintain someone’s attention or interest, probably insincerely. strings n. the musical instruments whose sounds are made by rub- bing a bow across strings as in string E; the people who play the instruments having strings as in string E. (Treated as plural.) strip ["strIp] 1. n. a long, flat piece of something. 2. tv. to undress someone; to remove someone’s clothes; to remove something’s covering. 3. tv. to make something empty or bare. 4. iv. to take off one’s clothes; to undress. → comic strip strip down to remove one’s cloth- ing. stripe ["straIp] 1. n. a long band of color or texture; a wide line; a wide line of something that is dif- ferent from what is around it. 2. tv. to mark something with Q; to put Q on something. strode ["strod] past tense of stride. stroll ["strol] 1. n. a pleasant walk. 2. iv. to go for a pleasant walk. strong ["strON] 1. adj. having strength in the mind or body; hav- ing power in the mind or the body; using strength. (Adv: strongly. Comp: stronger; sup: strongest.) 2. adj. able to last; able to withstand something; not easily broken; sturdy. (Adv: strongly. Comp: stronger; sup: strongest.) 3. adj. [of a taste, smell, or color] intense. (Adv: strongly. Comp: stronger; sup: strongest.) 4. adj. having a certain number [of peo- ple]. (Follows a specific number.) → (as) strong as an ox struck ["str^k] past tense and past participle of strike. structure ["str^k tS#] 1. n. the way that something is put together; the way that something is built; the way that something or some crea- ture is arranged. (No plural.) 2. n. a building. 3. n. something that is made from different parts. 4. tv. to arrange something so that it has a certain form; to form something in a certain way; to make some- thing from different parts. struggle ["str^g @l] 1. iv. to work hard for or against something; to fight for or against something, using a lot of effort or energy. 2. n. a hard fight for or against some- thing; a difficult effort for or against something. struggle through ( something ) to get through something in the best way possible. strung ["str^N] past tense and past participle of string. strut ["str^t] iv. to walk somewhere arrogantly; to walk somewhere as though one were more important than one is. stub ["st^b] 1. tv. to hurt a toe by hitting it against something. 2. n. a short end of something that remains after the rest of it is taken or used. stub 605 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 605 TLFeBOOK . 1. n. the main part of a plant above the ground, which is connected to the roots below the ground, and from which leaves or flowers grow. 2. n. the part of a word that suffixes and prefixes are added. n. the rear part of a boat or ship. → from stem to stern stew ["stu] 1. n. a thick soup of vegetables and often meat cooked slowly in their own juices. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2 for types and instances.) 3. n. the total assets of a company divided into equal shares that are usually bought and sold in a stock market. (No plural.) 4. n. [a group of] shares of E of a specific