stag

American  

[stag] / stæg /

noun

1. an adult male deer.

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

3. Informal. stag party.

4. a domesticated boar or bull castrated after maturation of the sexual organs.

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

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verb (used without object)

stagged, stagging

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

adjective

1. of or for men only.

   a stag dinner.

2. intended for male audiences and usually pornographic in content.

   a stag show.

adverb

1. without a companion or date.

   to go stag to a dance.

stag British  

/ stæɡ /

noun

1. the adult male of a deer, esp a red deer

2. a man unaccompanied by a woman at a social gathering

3. stock exchange

   1. 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

   2. ( as modifier )

      stag operations

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

5. (modifier) pornographic in content

   a stag show

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adverb

1. without a female escort

verb

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

stag Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing stag

• go stag

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Other Word Forms

• staglike adjective

Etymology

Origin of stag

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English stagge; akin to Old Norse steggi, steggr “male bird” (giving rise to northern English dialect steg “gander”), Icelandic steggur “male fox, tomcat”

Explanation

A stag is another word for a buck, or a male deer. If you spot a family of deer in the woods, the stag is the one with the largest antlers. There are different terms for male deer, depending on the species, and stag usually describes the largest types of deer. Stags are also commonly seen in paintings of deer hunts. Another way to use the word stag is as a verb meaning "go without a date," especially to a formal party or dance. In the mid-1800's, a "stag party" was a group made up only of men, a term that came to mean a bachelor party.

Example Sentences

"The stag part of the stagflation is already being felt in terms of restaurants closing down and households having less natural gas," Subramanian said.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Life at the St. George Reef Lighthouse — a so-called stag station where no women or children were allowed — was brutal and lonely.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2025

This summer, Hatton attended a friend's stag do in Portugal.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

So what are the pitfalls when organising a hen, a stag, or even a wedding?

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2025

The fiery heart was everywhere, though the tiny black stag imprisoned in the flames was too small to make out.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• bash
• celebration
• dance
• festivity
• fiesta
• function
• jamboree
• pageant
• prom
• shindig