stalk

stalk
English has two distinct words stalk. The noun, ‘plant stem’ [14], probably originated as a diminutive form of the now extinct stale ‘long handle’, a word distantly related to Greek steleá ‘handle’. The verb, ‘track stealthily’ [OE], goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *stalkōjan, which was formed from the same base as produced English steal. The sense ‘walk haughtily’, diametrically opposed to ‘track stealthily’, emerged in the 16th century.

The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins. 2013.

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  • stalk — stalk·able; stalk; stalk·er; stalk·i·ly; stalk·i·ness; stalk·ing·ly; stalk·less; stalk·let; bit·stalk; …   English syllables

  • Stalk — (st[add]k), n. [OE. stalke, fr. AS. st[ae]l, stel, a stalk. See {Stale} a handle, {Stall}.] 1. (Bot.) (a) The stem or main axis of a plant; as, a stalk of wheat, rye, or oats; the stalks of maize or hemp. (b) The petiole, pedicel, or peduncle, of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Stalk — Stalk, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Stalked} (st[add]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Stalking}.] [AS. st[ae]lcan, stealcian to go slowly; cf. stealc high, elevated, Dan. stalke to stalk; probably akin to 1st stalk.] 1. To walk slowly and cautiously; to walk in a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Stalk — Stalk, n. 1. A high, proud, stately step or walk. [1913 Webster] Thus twice before, . . . With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. Shak. [1913 Webster] The which with monstrous stalk behind him stepped. Spenser. [1913 Webster] 2. The act or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • stalk — / stȯk/ vt: to subject to stalking vi: to engage in stalking stalk·er n Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • stalk|y — «ST kee», adjective, stalk|i|er, stalk|i|est. 1. consisting of stalks. 2. abounding in stalks. 3. of the nature of a stalk or stalks; long and slender like a stalk …   Useful english dictionary

  • Stalk — (st[add]k), v. t. 1. To approach under cover of a screen, or by stealth, for the purpose of killing, as game. [1913 Webster] As for shooting a man from behind a wall, it is cruelly like to stalking a deer. Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] 2. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Stalk — can mean: * loosely, a plant stem, or any structure resembling a plant stem ** more precisely, in botany, the filament of a stamen, pedicel, peduncle, petiole, scape, caudicle or stipe (botany) ** in mycology, a stipe (mycology) is the stem or… …   Wikipedia

  • stalk — Ⅰ. stalk [1] ► NOUN 1) the main stem of a herbaceous plant. 2) the attachment or support of a leaf, flower, or fruit. 3) a slender support or stem. DERIVATIVES stalk like adjective stalky adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • stalk — [n] stem of plant axis, bent, helm, pedicel, pedicle, reed, shaft, spike, spire, support, trunk, twig, upright; concept 428 stalk [v] follow, creep up on ambush, approach, chase, drive, flush out, haunt, hunt, pace, pursue, shadow, striddle,… …   New thesaurus

  • stalk — stalk1 [stôk] vi. [ME stalken < OE stealcian (in comp.) < stealc, high, steep < IE * stelg < base * stel , to place, set up > STILL1, Gr stellein] 1. a) to walk in a stiff, haughty, or grim manner b) to advance or spread grimly… …   English World dictionary

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