stick
1 Americannoun
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a branch or shoot of a tree or shrub that has been cut or broken off.
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a relatively long and slender piece of wood.
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a long piece of wood for use as fuel, in carpentry, etc.
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a rod or wand.
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a baton.
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Chiefly British. a walking stick or cane.
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a club or cudgel.
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something that serves to goad or coerce.
The threat of unemployment was the stick that kept the workers toiling overtime.
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a long, slender piece or part of anything.
a stick of candy; sticks of celery.
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any of four equal parts in a pound of butter or margarine.
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Sports. an implement used to drive or propel a ball or puck, as a crosse or a hockey stick.
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Aeronautics. a lever, usually with a handle, by which the longitudinal and lateral motions of an airplane are controlled.
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Nautical. a mast or spar.
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Printing. composing stick.
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Informal. the sticks, 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.
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Military.
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a group of bombs so arranged as to be released in a row across a target.
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the bomb load.
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Informal. stick shift.
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Slang. a marijuana cigarette.
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Informal. an unenthusiastic or uninteresting person.
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Informal. a portion of liquor, as brandy, added to a nonalcoholic drink.
verb (used with object)
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to furnish (a plant, vine, etc.) with a stick or sticks in order to prop or support.
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Printing. to set (type) in a composing stick.
idioms
verb (used with object)
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to pierce or puncture with something pointed, as a pin, dagger, or spear; stab.
to stick one's finger with a needle.
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to kill by this means.
to stick a pig.
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to thrust (something pointed) in, into, through, etc..
to stick a needle into a pincushion.
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to fasten in position by thrusting a point or end into something.
to stick a peg in a pegboard.
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to fasten in position by or as if by something thrust through.
to stick a painting on the wall.
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to put on or hold with something pointed; impale.
to stick a marshmallow on a fork.
- Synonyms:
- transfix
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to decorate or furnish with things piercing the surface.
to stick a cushion full of pins.
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to furnish or adorn with things attached or set here and there.
to stick shelves full of knickknacks.
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to place upon a stick or pin for exhibit.
to stick butterflies.
- Synonyms:
- pin
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to thrust or poke into a place or position indicated.
to stick one's head out of the window.
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to place or set in a specified position; put.
Stick the chair in the corner.
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to fasten or attach by causing to adhere.
to stick a stamp on a letter.
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to bring to a standstill; render unable to proceed or go back (usually used in the passive).
The car was stuck in the mud.
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Carpentry. to start (a nail).
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Ceramics. to join (pieces of partially hardened clay) together, using slip as an adhesive.
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Chiefly British Informal. to tolerate; endure.
He couldn't stick the job more than three days.
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to confuse or puzzle; bewilder; perplex; nonplus.
He was stuck by the very first problem on the test.
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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.
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Informal. to cheat.
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Slang: Often Vulgar. to go to hell with: often used imperatively.
verb (used without object)
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to have the point piercing or embedded in something.
The arrow stuck in the tree.
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to remain attached by adhesion.
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to hold, cleave, or cling.
The young rider stuck to the back of his terrified horse.
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to remain persistently or permanently.
a fact that sticks in the mind.
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to remain firm, as in resolution, opinion, statement, or attachment; hold faithfully, as to a promise or bargain.
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to keep or remain steadily or unremittingly, as to a task, undertaking, or the like.
to stick to a job until it is finished.
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to become fastened, hindered, checked, or stationary by some obstruction.
Her zipper stuck halfway up.
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to be at a standstill, as from difficulties.
I'm stuck on this problem.
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to be embarrassed or puzzled; hesitate or scruple (usually followed byat ).
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to be thrust or placed so as to extend, project, or protrude (usually followed by through, from, out, up, etc.).
noun
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a thrust with a pointed instrument; stab.
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a stoppage or standstill.
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something causing delay or difficulty.
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the quality of adhering or of causing things to adhere.
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something causing adhesion.
verb phrase
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stick by / to to maintain one's attachment or loyalty to; remain faithful to.
They vowed to stick by one another no matter what happened.
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stick around to wait in the vicinity; linger.
If you had stuck around, you'd have seen the fireworks.
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stick up for to speak in favor of; come to the defense of; support.
She always sticks up for him, even though he doesn't deserve it.
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stick out to extend; protrude.
Stick out your tongue. Your shirttail is sticking out.
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stick up to rob, especially at gunpoint.
A lone gunman stuck up the gas station.
idioms
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stick it, shove.
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stick it up your / one's ass, shove.
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stick it to (someone), to take advantage of; treat unfairly.
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stick it out, to endure something patiently to the end or its completion.
It was a long, dusty trip but we stuck it out.
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stick one's neck out. neck.
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stick to one's guns. gun.
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stick to the / one's ribs, to be substantial and nourishing, as a hearty meal.
Hot cereal sticks to your ribs on those cold winter mornings.
noun
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a small thin branch of a tree
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any long thin piece of wood
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such a piece of wood having a characteristic shape for a special purpose
a walking stick
a hockey stick
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a baton, wand, staff, or rod
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an object or piece shaped like a stick
a stick of celery
a stick of dynamite
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See control stick
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informal the lever used to change gear in a motor vehicle
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nautical a mast or yard
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printing See composing stick
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a group of bombs arranged to fall at intervals across a target
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a number of paratroops jumping in sequence
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slang
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verbal abuse, criticism
I got some stick for that blunder
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physical power, force (esp in the phrase give it some stick )
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(usually plural) a piece of furniture
these few sticks are all I have
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informal (plural) a rural area considered remote or backward (esp in the phrase in the sticks )
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informal (plural) the wooded interior part of the country
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(plural) hockey a declaration made by the umpire if a player's stick is above the shoulders
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(plural) goalposts
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obsolete a cannabis cigarette
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a means of coercion
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informal a dull boring person
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informal (usually preceded by old) a familiar name for a person
not a bad old stick
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in a difficult position
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a complete misunderstanding of a situation, explanation, etc
verb
verb
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(tr) to pierce or stab with or as if with something pointed
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to thrust or push (a sharp or pointed object) or (of a sharp or pointed object) to be pushed into or through another object
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(tr) to fasten in position by pushing or forcing a point into something
to stick a peg in a hole
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(tr) to fasten in position by or as if by pins, nails, etc
to stick a picture on the wall
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(tr) to transfix or impale on a pointed object
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(tr) to cover with objects piercing or set in the surface
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to put forward or be put forward; protrude or cause to protrude
to stick one's head out of the window
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informal (tr) to place or put in a specified position
stick your coat on this chair
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to fasten or be fastened by or as if by an adhesive substance
stick the pages together
they won't stick
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informal (tr) to cause to become sticky
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(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
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(intr) to remain for a long time
the memory sticks in my mind
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slang (tr) to tolerate; abide
I can't stick that man
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(intr) to be reluctant
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informal (tr; usually passive) to cause to be at a loss; baffle, puzzle, or confuse
I was totally stuck for an answer
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slang (tr) to force or impose something unpleasant on
they stuck me with the bill for lunch
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(tr) to kill by piercing or stabbing
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informal to be difficult, or against one's conscience, for one to accept, utter, or believe
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See nose
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informal (of food) to be hearty and satisfying
noun
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the state or condition of adhering
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informal a substance causing adhesion
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obsolete something that causes delay or stoppage
Usage
What does stick mean? Content warning: this article references guns. Stick is a slang term for "gun," especially an automatic rifle in Southern hip-hop in the U. S. That means you can "stick 'em up"... with a stick.
Synonym Usage
Stick, adhere, cohere mean to cling to or be tightly attached to something. Adhere implies that one kind of material clings tenaciously to another; cohere adds the idea that a thing is attracted to and held by something like itself: Particles of sealing wax cohere and form a mass that will adhere to tin. Stick, a more colloquial and general term, is used particularly when a third kind of material is involved: A gummed label will stick to a package.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stick1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English stikke, stike, Old English sticca “stick, peg, spoon”; akin to Old High German stehho, Old Norse stik “stick”; akin to stick 2
Origin of stick2
First recorded before 900; Middle English stiken, stikken, Old English stician “to pierce, thrust”; akin to German stechen “to sting,” Latin -stīg- in instīgāre “to urge, incite,” Greek stízein “to stitch, tattoo, brand”; see also stigma, stitch
Explanation
A stick is either a short length of wood—part of a tree branch—or an implement made of wood, like a hockey stick, a walking stick, or the sticks you use to play a drum. There's also the much shorter popsicle stick or lollipop stick, as well as an airplane pilot's joy stick, a stick of butter, and a long, thin piece of something, like a stick of dynamite or cinnamon. As a verb, stick means "pierce," "fix," or "stay." So you can stick a pin in a balloon, stick a sticker on a window, or stick around your classroom after math class is over.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It involves a choreographed routine involving elements of gymnastics and traditional dressage performed while using a “hobby horse” — a stuffed horse head on a stick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
But if investors can stick it out, they could reap the rewards, analysts say.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
You don’t have to stick to Apple-branded cables and bricks, but you should know how to distinguish a good deal from a potential hazard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Liverpool, meanwhile, had been expected to stick with manager Arne Slot when Alonso was appointed, before making the "difficult decision" to sack Slot after a trophyless second season in charge.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
You can pick it up on a stick, and it’ll still play dead.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
At the other end of the ice, Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made four saves and sticked away the puck from a danger area with the Canadiens buzzing.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2021
Coyotes winger Jordan Szwarz high sticked Schmidt to give Washington its next go-round on the power play.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 10, 2013
Some have not sticked to say ‘that David hath been as much persecuted by bungling translators as by Saul himself.’
From John Keble's Parishes by Yonge, Charlotte Mary
Dey sticked some plasters on deir heels, An' drawed 'em up to Glory!
From Negro Folk Rhymes Wise and Otherwise: With a Study by Talley, Thomas Washington
"It looks like a tiny snake all sticked through the hole in the spool," said Prudy, eager with curiosity.
From Little Prudy's Sister Susy by May, Sophie
Oil prices haven’t reacted all that badly so far, sticking to around $80 a barrel.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Perkins described the process, which is licensed by Natural England, as "a sort of sticking plaster" that will work "until we can get better natural nesting in place".
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
For those who use art to help shade in the textures of their lives — as sticking points to shape a memory — there is no better place to do so than Letterboxd.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
But for that morning, she was sticking to a Cococcino.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
The top edge of Jeff’s comics were sticking out from between my books.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
But in America this summer, he remains stuck on a single goal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Not just the voice, but I don’t want to be stuck doing an impression of this guy for very long.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Or wages could get stuck at the current level.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
When Hamawy got stuck in Gaza, Mansour and other locals took it upon themselves to reach out to their elected officials.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
I bookmark the website and turn off my phone, unable to contain the smile that’s now stuck on my face.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
