stick

a long piece of wood for use as fuel, in carpentry, etc.

a rod or wand.

a baton.

Chiefly British. a walking stick or cane.

a club or cudgel.

something that serves to goad or coerce: The threat of unemployment was the stick that kept the workers toiling overtime.: Compare carrot (def. 3).

a long, slender piece or part of anything: a stick of candy; sticks of celery.

any of four equal parts in a pound of butter or margarine.

Sports. an implement used to drive or propel a ball or puck, as a crosse or a hockey stick.

Aeronautics. a lever, usually with a handle, by which the longitudinal and lateral motions of an airplane are controlled.

Nautical. a mast or spar.

Printing. composing stick.

the sticks, Informal. any region distant from cities or towns, as rural districts; the country: Having lived in a large city all his life, he found it hard to adjust to the sticks.

Military.

Informal. stick shift.

Slang. a marijuana cigarette.

Informal. an unenthusiastic or uninteresting person.

Informal. a portion of liquor, as brandy, added to a nonalcoholic drink.

to thrust (something pointed) in, into, through, etc.: to stick a needle into a pincushion.

to fasten in position by thrusting a point or end into something: to stick a peg in a pegboard.

to fasten in position by or as if by something thrust through: to stick a painting on the wall.

to put on or hold with something pointed; impale: to stick a marshmallow on a fork.

to decorate or furnish with things piercing the surface: to stick a cushion full of pins.

to furnish or adorn with things attached or set here and there: to stick shelves full of knickknacks.

to place upon a stick or pin for exhibit: to stick butterflies.

to thrust or poke into a place or position indicated: to stick one's head out of the window.

to place or set in a specified position; put: Stick the chair in the corner.

to fasten or attach by causing to adhere: to stick a stamp on a letter.

to bring to a standstill; render unable to proceed or go back (usually used in the passive): The car was stuck in the mud.

Carpentry. to start (a nail).

Ceramics. to join (pieces of partially hardened clay) together, using slip as an adhesive.

Chiefly British Informal. to tolerate; endure: He couldn't stick the job more than three days.

to confuse or puzzle; bewilder; perplex; nonplus: He was stuck by the very first problem on the test.

Informal. to impose something disagreeable upon (a person or persons), as a large bill or a difficult task: The committee persistently stuck him with fund collection.

Informal. to cheat.

Slang: Often Vulgar. to go to hell with: often used imperatively.

to hold, cleave, or cling: The young rider stuck to the back of his terrified horse.

to remain persistently or permanently: a fact that sticks in the mind.

to remain firm, as in resolution, opinion, statement, or attachment; hold faithfully, as to a promise or bargain.

to keep or remain steadily or unremittingly, as to a task, undertaking, or the like: to stick to a job until it is finished.

to become fastened, hindered, checked, or stationary by some obstruction: Her zipper stuck halfway up.

to be at a standstill, as from difficulties: I'm stuck on this problem.

to be embarrassed or puzzled; hesitate or scruple (usually followed by at).

to be thrust or placed so as to extend, project, or protrude (usually followed by through, from, out, up, etc.).

something causing delay or difficulty.

the quality of adhering or of causing things to adhere.

something causing adhesion.

an object or piece shaped like a stick: a stick of celery; a stick of dynamite

See control stick

informal the lever used to change gear in a motor vehicle

nautical a mast or yard

printing See composing stick

slang

(usually plural) a piece of furniture: these few sticks are all I have

(plural) informal a rural area considered remote or backward (esp in the phrase in the sticks)

(plural) Canadian West coast and Northwestern Canadian informal the wooded interior part of the country

(plural) hockey a declaration made by the umpire if a player's stick is above the shoulders

(plural) goalposts

US obsolete a cannabis cigarette

a means of coercion

informal a dull boring person

(usually preceded by old) informal a familiar name for a person: not a bad old stick

in a cleft stick in a difficult position

wrong end of the stick a complete misunderstanding of a situation, explanation, etc

(tr) to fasten in position by pushing or forcing a point into something: to stick a peg in a hole

(tr) to fasten in position by or as if by pins, nails, etc: to stick a picture on the wall

(tr) to transfix or impale on a pointed object

(tr) to cover with objects piercing or set in the surface

(when intr, foll by out, up, through, etc) to put forward or be put forward; protrude or cause to protrude: to stick one's head out of the window

(tr) informal to place or put in a specified position: stick your coat on this chair

to fasten or be fastened by or as if by an adhesive substance: stick the pages together; they won't stick

(tr) informal to cause to become sticky

(when tr, usually passive) to come or cause to come to a standstill: we were stuck for hours in a traffic jam; the wheels stuck

(intr) to remain for a long time: the memory sticks in my mind

(tr) slang, mainly British to tolerate; abide: I can't stick that man

(intr) to be reluctant

(tr; usually passive) informal to cause to be at a loss; baffle, puzzle, or confuse: I was totally stuck for an answer

(tr) slang to force or impose something unpleasant on: they stuck me with the bill for lunch

(tr) to kill by piercing or stabbing

stick in one's throat or stick in one's craw informal to be difficult, or against one's conscience, for one to accept, utter, or believe

stick one's nose into See nose (def. 17)

stick to the ribs informal (of food) to be hearty and satisfying

obsolete something that causes delay or stoppage