stag

[stag]

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.

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

/ 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

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

Other Word Forms

• staglike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stag¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of stag¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

• go stag

Example Sentences

The glass eyes of Lord Fredrick’s taxidermy collection stared at her accusingly: the bear, the moose, the stags, the foxes, the many varieties of birds, and, of course, the elk.

Read more on Literature

Then, while out for my brother's stag do in a Liverpool nightclub, something happened that I haven't been able to forget since.

Read more on BBC

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

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On the last day of their girls' trip in June, the group befriended a stag party and were playing games, running around outside their accommodation and "being silly".

Read more on BBC

Hen and stag dos, like weddings and baby showers, are a chance to celebrate big milestones in our friends' lives.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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