stick

¹

[stik]

noun

1. a branch or shoot of a tree or shrub that has been cut or broken off.

2. a relatively long and slender piece of wood.

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

4. a rod or wand.

5. a baton.

6. Chiefly British.,  a walking stick or cane.

7. a club or cudgel.

8. something that serves to goad or coerce.

   The threat of unemployment was the stick that kept the workers toiling overtime.

9. a long, slender piece or part of anything.

   a stick of candy; sticks of celery.

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

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

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

13. Nautical.,  a mast or spar.

14. Printing.,  composing stick.

15. 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.

16. Military.

    1. a group of bombs so arranged as to be released in a row across a target.

    2. the bomb load.

17. Informal.,  stick shift.

18. Slang.,  a marijuana cigarette.

19. Informal.,  an unenthusiastic or uninteresting person.

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

verb (used with object)

sticked, sticking 

1. to furnish (a plant, vine, etc.) with a stick or sticks in order to prop or support.

2. Printing.,  to set (type) in a composing stick.

stick

²

[stik]

verb (used with object)

stuck, sticking 

1. to pierce or puncture with something pointed, as a pin, dagger, or spear; stab.

   to stick one's finger with a needle.

   Synonyms: spear, penetrate

2. to kill by this means.

   to stick a pig.

3. to thrust (something pointed) in, into, through, etc..

   to stick a needle into a pincushion.

4. to fasten in position by thrusting a point or end into something.

   to stick a peg in a pegboard.

5. to fasten in position by or as if by something thrust through.

   to stick a painting on the wall.

6. to put on or hold with something pointed; impale.

   to stick a marshmallow on a fork.

   Synonyms: transfix

7. to decorate or furnish with things piercing the surface.

   to stick a cushion full of pins.

8. to furnish or adorn with things attached or set here and there.

   to stick shelves full of knickknacks.

9. to place upon a stick or pin for exhibit.

   to stick butterflies.

   Synonyms: pin

10. to thrust or poke into a place or position indicated.

    to stick one's head out of the window.

11. to place or set in a specified position; put.

    Stick the chair in the corner.

12. to fasten or attach by causing to adhere.

    to stick a stamp on a letter.

    Synonyms: paste, cement, glue

13. to bring to a standstill; render unable to proceed or go back (usually used in the passive).

    The car was stuck in the mud.

14. Carpentry.,  to start (a nail).

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

16. Chiefly British Informal.,  to tolerate; endure.

    He couldn't stick the job more than three days.

17. to confuse or puzzle; bewilder; perplex; nonplus.

    He was stuck by the very first problem on the test.

18. 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.

19. Informal.,  to cheat.

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

verb (used without object)

stuck, sticking 

1. to have the point piercing or embedded in something.

   The arrow stuck in the tree.

2. to remain attached by adhesion.

3. to hold, cleave, or cling.

   The young rider stuck to the back of his terrified horse.

4. to remain persistently or permanently.

   a fact that sticks in the mind.

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

6. to keep or remain steadily or unremittingly, as to a task, undertaking, or the like.

   to stick to a job until it is finished.

7. to become fastened, hindered, checked, or stationary by some obstruction.

   Her zipper stuck halfway up.

8. to be at a standstill, as from difficulties.

   I'm stuck on this problem.

9. to be embarrassed or puzzled; hesitate or scruple (usually followed byat ).

   Synonyms: doubt, waver, stickle

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

noun

1. a thrust with a pointed instrument; stab.

2. a stoppage or standstill.

3. something causing delay or difficulty.

4. the quality of adhering or of causing things to adhere.

5. something causing adhesion.

verb phrase

1. 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.

2. stick around,  to wait in the vicinity; linger.

   If you had stuck around, you'd have seen the fireworks.

3. 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.

4. stick out,  to extend; protrude.

   Stick out your tongue. Your shirttail is sticking out.

5. stick up,  to rob, especially at gunpoint.

   A lone gunman stuck up the gas station.

stick

¹

/ stɪk /

noun

1. a small thin branch of a tree

2. 1. any long thin piece of wood

   2. such a piece of wood having a characteristic shape for a special purpose

      a walking stick

      a hockey stick

   3. a baton, wand, staff, or rod

3. an object or piece shaped like a stick

   a stick of celery

   a stick of dynamite

4. See control stick

5. informal,  the lever used to change gear in a motor vehicle

6. nautical a mast or yard

7. printing See composing stick

8. 1. a group of bombs arranged to fall at intervals across a target

   2. a number of paratroops jumping in sequence

9. slang

   1. verbal abuse, criticism

      I got some stick for that blunder

   2. physical power, force (esp in the phrase give it some stick )

10. (usually plural) a piece of furniture

    these few sticks are all I have

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

12. informal,  (plural) the wooded interior part of the country

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

14. (plural) goalposts

15. obsolete,  a cannabis cigarette

16. a means of coercion

17. informal,  a dull boring person

18. informal,  (usually preceded by old) a familiar name for a person

    not a bad old stick

19. in a difficult position

20. a complete misunderstanding of a situation, explanation, etc

verb

1. to support (a plant) with sticks; stake

stick

²

/ stɪk /

verb

1. (tr) to pierce or stab with or as if with something pointed

2. to thrust or push (a sharp or pointed object) or (of a sharp or pointed object) to be pushed into or through another object

3. (tr) to fasten in position by pushing or forcing a point into something

   to stick a peg in a hole

4. (tr) to fasten in position by or as if by pins, nails, etc

   to stick a picture on the wall

5. (tr) to transfix or impale on a pointed object

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

7. to put forward or be put forward; protrude or cause to protrude

   to stick one's head out of the window

8. informal,  (tr) to place or put in a specified position

   stick your coat on this chair

9. to fasten or be fastened by or as if by an adhesive substance

   stick the pages together

   they won't stick

10. informal,  (tr) to cause to become sticky

11. (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

12. (intr) to remain for a long time

    the memory sticks in my mind

13. slang,  (tr) to tolerate; abide

    I can't stick that man

14. (intr) to be reluctant

15. informal,  (tr; usually passive) to cause to be at a loss; baffle, puzzle, or confuse

    I was totally stuck for an answer

16. slang,  (tr) to force or impose something unpleasant on

    they stuck me with the bill for lunch

17. (tr) to kill by piercing or stabbing

18. informal,  to be difficult, or against one's conscience, for one to accept, utter, or believe

19. See nose

20. informal,  (of food) to be hearty and satisfying

noun

1. the state or condition of adhering

2. informal,  a substance causing adhesion

3. obsolete,  something that causes delay or stoppage

Other Word Forms

• stickless adjective
• sticklike adjective
• stickable adjective
• stickability noun
• restickable adjective

Word History and Origins

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”; stigma, stitch

Word History and Origins

Origin of stick¹

Old English sticca; related to Old Norse stikka, Old High German stecca

Origin of stick²

Old English stician; related to Old High German stehhan to sting, Old Norse steikja to roast on a spit

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. short / dirty end of the stick, the least desirable assignment, decision, or part of an arrangement.

2. stick it, shove.

3. stick it up your / one's ass, shove.

4. stick it to (someone), to take advantage of; treat unfairly.

5. stick it out, to endure something patiently to the end or its completion.

   It was a long, dusty trip but we stuck it out.

6. stick one's neck out. neck.

7. stick to one's guns. gun.

8. 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.

More idioms and phrases containing stick

• carrot and stick
• get on the stick
• make stick
• more than one can shake a stick at
• short end of the stick
• stand (stick) up for
• wrong end of the stick

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

They are only a sticking point for would-be kings and despots who successfully deceive and subjugate the masses.

From Salon

“I’m going to stick it out and fight.”

From Los Angeles Times

Curbs on the use of generative AI became a sticking point in the historic 2023 strikes by actors and writers.

From Los Angeles Times

Knife skills, too, were given a linguistic beat: “Motion of the ocean” for rocking cuts, “slices, sticks, dices” to map the rhythm of the hand and blade.

From Salon

As the youngster curiously mulled about, moving sticks around, some conspicuous features became clear.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bar 
• bat 
• baton 
• cane 
• club 
• rod 
• slab 
• stalk 
• strip 
• wand 
• wedge 

When To Use

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.