stag

[ stag ]

/ stæg /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stag ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an adult male deer.

the male of various other animals.

a man who attends a social gathering unaccompanied by a woman.

Informal. stag party.

a swine or bull castrated after maturation of the sex organs.

British. a speculator who buys securities of a new issue in the hope of selling them quickly at a higher price.

verb (used without object), stagged, stag·ging.

Informal. (of a man) to attend a social function without a female companion.

adjective

of or for men only: a stag dinner.

intended for male audiences and usually pornographic in content: a stag show.

adverb

without a companion or date: to go stag to a dance.

Nearby words

Origin of stag

1150–1200; Middle English stagge; akin to Old Norse steggi, steggr male bird (> E (north dial.) steg gander), Icelandic steggur male fox, tomcat

Related formsstag·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for stag

And there happens to be a rock with stag on top of it as a monument right outside of town.
The Look of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’|Andrew Romano|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When "Paula" stalled at Stag, Salinger must have been relieved.
What the Leaked J.D. Salinger Stories Reveal About the Author|Andrew Romano|November 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Salinger retooled it, retitled it "Paula," and sold it to Stag, a middlebrow publication for men.
What the Leaked J.D. Salinger Stories Reveal About the Author|Andrew Romano|November 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“President Zal ul-Haq refused me entry to his entourage, saying it was a stag party,” Mustafa told the audience.
Portraits Of Courage: Female Journalists Honored At International Women’s Media Foundation Awards|Katie Baker|October 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

In her anger she casts a spell upon him, changing him into a stag.
Ovid’s Poem Metamorphosis Set With a Contemporary Twist|Celeste Neill|July 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Instead, he merely breaks its hind legs, so that the stag cannot run away.
The Wonders of the Jungle, Book Two|Prince Sarath Ghosh
I released my hold of the stag, who turned upon the new enemy.
Forest Life and Forest Trees: comprising winter camp-life among the loggers, and wild-wood adventure.|John S. Springer
On this they uncovered their heads upon the sea shore and admired the stag, for he was indeed a splendid fellow.
The Odyssey|Homer
At the second year they seek the female, and, like the stag, are fond of variety.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VI (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
So the lad broke off the horns, and the snake swallowed the stag.
Filipino Popular Tales|Dean S. Fansler

British Dictionary definitions for stag

stag

/ (stæɡ) /

noun

the adult male of a deer, esp a red deer

a man unaccompanied by a woman at a social gathering

stock exchange, British

a speculator who applies for shares in a new issue in anticipation of a rise in price when trading commences in order to make a quick profit on resale
(as modifier)stag operations

(modifier) (of a social gathering) attended by men only

(modifier) pornographic in contenta stag show

adverb

without a female escort

verb (tr)

stock exchange to apply for (shares in a new issue) with the intention of selling them for a quick profit when trading commences

Word Origin for stag

Old English stagga (unattested); related to Old Norse steggr male bird

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for stag

stag

late 12c., probably from Old English *stagga "stag," from Proto-Germanic *stag- (see sting). The Old Norse equivalent was used of male foxes, tomcats and dragons and the Germanic root word perhaps originally meant "male animal in its prime." Meaning "pertaining to or composed of males only" (stag party) is American English slang from 1848. Stag film "pornographic movie" is attested from 1968.

Idioms and Phrases with stag

stag

In addition to the idiom beginning with stag

stage fright
stage whisper
stag party

also see:

go stag

stag

noun

verb (used without object), stagged, stag·ging.

adjective

adverb

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Nearby words

Origin of stag

Examples from the Web for stag

stag

noun

adverb

verb (tr)

Word Origin for stag

stag

stag