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sty
1[ stahy ]
/ staɪ /
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noun, plural sties.
a pen or enclosure for swine; pigpen.
any filthy place or abode.
a place of bestial debauchery.
verb (used with object), stied, sty·ing.
to keep or lodge in or as if in a sty.
verb (used without object), stied, sty·ing.
to live in or as if in a sty.
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Origin of sty
1before 1000; (noun) Middle English; Old English *stī in stī-fearh sty-pig; probably identical with stig- in stigweardsteward; cognate with Old Norse stī,Dutch stijg,German Steige
Words nearby sty
Other definitions for sty (2 of 2)
sty2
or stye
[ stahy ]
/ staɪ /
noun, plural sties.Ophthalmology.
a circumscribed abscess caused by bacterial infection of the glands on the edge of the eyelid; hordeolum.
Origin of sty
21610–20; by false division of Middle English styanye sty (styan (Old English stīgend sty, literally, rising) + yeeye), taken to be sty on eye
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sty in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for sty
sty
/ (staɪ) /
noun plural sties
a pen in which pigs are housed and fed
any filthy or corrupt place
verb sties, stying or stied
to enclose or be enclosed in a sty
Word Origin for sty
Old English stig; related to Old Norse stīa pen, fold, Old High German stīga, Middle Dutch stije
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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