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story1

[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
See more synonyms for story on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural sto·ries.
  1. a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
  2. a fictitious tale, shorter and less elaborate than a novel.
  3. such narratives or tales as a branch of literature: song and story.
  4. the plot or succession of incidents of a novel, poem, drama, etc.: The characterizations were good, but the story was weak.
  5. a narration of an incident or a series of events or an example of these that is or may be narrated, as an anecdote, joke, etc.
  6. a narration of the events in the life of a person or the existence of a thing, or such events as a subject for narration: the story of medicine; the story of his life.
  7. a report or account of a matter; statement or allegation: The story goes that he rejected the offer.
  8. news story.
  9. a lie or fabrication: What he said about himself turned out to be a story.
  10. Obsolete. history.
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verb (used with object), sto·ried, sto·ry·ing.
  1. to ornament with pictured scenes, as from history or legend.
  2. Obsolete. to tell the history or story of.
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Origin of story1

1175–1225; Middle English storie < Anglo-French estorie < Latin historia history
Related formssto·ry·less, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for story on Thesaurus.com
1. legend, fable, romance; anecdote, record, history, chronicle. 5. recital. 7. description.

story2

[stawr-ee, stohr-ee]
noun, plural sto·ries.
  1. a complete horizontal section of a building, having one continuous or practically continuous floor.
  2. the set of rooms on the same floor or level of a building.
  3. any major horizontal architectural division, as of a façade or the wall of a nave.
  4. a layer.
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Also especially British, sto·rey.

Origin of story2

1350–1400; Middle English storie < Anglo-Latin historia picture decorating a building, a part of the building so decorated, hence floor, story < Latin historia history
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for stories

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • All these stories are obviously alike, but we judge them very differently.

  • And the amount of stories Mark, with all his contemplativeness could swallow, was amazing.

    Weighed and Wanting

    George MacDonald

  • All the houses were of two stories, of which the upper was open on the sides, and used for sleeping.

    The Trail Book

    Mary Austin

  • The sheep-dealer thought of the stories he had heard of lost or stolen children.

    Rico and Wiseli

    Johanna Spyri

  • All the stories of that country, like the trails, seemed to run into one another.

    The Trail Book

    Mary Austin

British Dictionary definitions for stories

story1

noun plural -ries
  1. a narration of a chain of events told or written in prose or verse
  2. Also called: short story a piece of fiction, briefer and usually less detailed than a novel
  3. Also called: story line the plot of a book, film, etc
  4. an event that could be the subject of a narrative
  5. a report or statement on a matter or event
  6. the event or material for such a report
  7. informal a lie, fib, or untruth
  8. cut a long story short or make a long story short to leave out details in a narration
  9. the same old story informal the familiar or regular course of events
  10. the story goes it is commonly said or believed
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verb -ries, -rying or -ried (tr)
  1. to decorate (a pot, wall, etc) with scenes from history or legends
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Word Origin

C13: from Anglo-French estorie, from Latin historia; see history

story2

noun plural -ries
  1. another spelling (esp US) of storey
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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 stories

story

n.1

"account of some happening," early 13c., "narrative of important events or celebrated persons of the past," from Old French estorie, from Late Latin storia and Latin historia "history, account, tale, story" (see history). Meaning "recital of true events" first recorded late 14c.; sense of "narrative of fictitious events meant to entertain" is from c.1500. Not differentiated from history till 1500s. As a euphemism for "a lie" it dates from 1690s. Meaning "newspaper article" is from 1892. Story-teller is from 1709. Story-line first attested 1941. That's another story "that requires different treatment" is attested from 1818. Story of my life "sad truth" first recorded 1938.

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story

n.2

"floor of a building," c.1400, from Anglo-Latin historia "floor of a building" (c.1200), also "picture," from Latin historia (see history). Perhaps so called because the fronts of buildings in the Middle Ages often were decorated with rows of painted windows.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with stories

story

In addition to the idiom beginning with story

  • story of my life, the

also see:

  • cock and bull story
  • cover story
  • fish story
  • hard-luck story
  • make a long story short
  • old story
  • same old story
  • shaggy dog story
  • sob story
  • upper story
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.