stack¹ /stak/

1. A large built-up pile (eg, of hay, corn, wood, etc or of goods or equipment)
2. A group or cluster of chimneys or flues, or a single tall chimney
3. The chimney or funnel of a steamer, steam-engine, etc
4. A vertical exhaust pipe on a lorry, etc
5. An isolated pillar of rock, often rising from the sea
6. A set of compactly arranged bookcases for storing books not on the open shelves of a library
7. A temporary storage area for data in a computer memory
8. A pyramid of three rifles, etc
9. An ordered, built-up pile
10. A standard quantity of gambler's chips bought at one time
11. Aircraft waiting to land and circling at definite heights according to instructions
12. A large amount (informal)

1. To pile into a stack
2. To fill
3. To shuffle or arrange the order of (cards) for cheating
4. To arrange (aircraft waiting to land) in a stack (see above)

stackˈable adjective

stacked adjective

1. Piled in a stack
2. Filled
3. (of shoe-heels) made of horizontal layers of leather
4. (of a woman) having a large bust (also well-stackedˈ; slang)

stackˈer noun

1. A person who stacks
2. A machine for stacking (eg products in a factory)

stackˈing noun

stackˈroom noun

In a library, a room where books are stored in stacks

stack system or stacking system noun

A modular hi-fi system which stacks one component on top of the other

stackˈyard noun

A yard for stacks

stack against (or in favour of)

To arrange (circumstances) to the disadvantage (or advantage) of (have the cards stacked against (or in favour of) to be faced with circumstances arranged in this way)

stack up

1. To pile or load high
2. To compare
3. To add up (informal)

stick¹ /stik/

1. A rod of wood, esp for walking with or for beating
2. A twig
3. Anything shaped like a rod of wood
4. A timber tree or trunk
5. A piece of firewood
6. A tally
7. An instrument for beating a percussion instrument
8. An instrument for playing hockey or another game
9. A bow for a fiddle, or the wooden part of it
10. A person of stiff manner
11. A person who lacks enterprise
12. A person of a specified character
13. A rod
14. Any oblong or cylindrical piece
15. A control rod of an aeroplane
16. A group of bombs, or of paratroops, released at one time from an aeroplane
17. A piece of furniture, esp one of few (usu in pl)
18. A ray of a fan
19. A support for a candle
20. (in pl) hurdles in steeplechasing
21. A printer's composing stick
22. A stickful
23. Blame, criticism, punishment (informal)

1. In the form of a stick
2. Made of sticks

1. To support (a plant) with sticks
2. To arrange in a composing stick (printing)

stickˈful noun (printing)

As much as a composing stick holds

stick force noun (aeronautics)

The force exerted on the control column by the pilot when applying aileron or elevator control

stickˈhandle intransitive verb

To control the puck or ball in a game played with a stick

stickˈhandling noun

stick insect noun

A twiglike phasmid insect

stickˈleader noun

The leader of a stick of paratroops

stick shift noun (N American)

A hand-operated gear mechanism in a motor vehicle

stickˈwork noun

Skill in using one's stick in any game played with one

beat to sticks

To defeat and surpass utterly

carrot and stick see under carrot

give someone stick (informal)

To subject someone to censure or abuse

in a cleft stick

In a dilemma

the big stick

Force, coercion

the right (or wrong) end of the stick

A true (or mistaken) understanding of the situation

the sticks (informal)

Rural areas, the backwoods

up sticks (informal)

To move, go and live somewhere else, make off

up the stick (slang)

Pregnant

stick² /stik/

1. To pierce, transfix
2. To stab
3. To spear
4. To thrust
5. To fasten by piercing
6. To insert
7. To set in position
8. To set or cover with things fastened on
9. To cause to adhere, fix with an adhesive
10. To endure (esp with it) (informal)
11. To function successfully (informal)
12. To bring to a standstill or nonplus
13. To leave someone (with) (something unpleasant) (informal)
14. (usu passive) to confine
15. (esp in imperative) used to dismiss something with disgust, scorn, etc (vulgar sl)

1. To be fixed by insertion
2. To jut, protrude
3. To adhere
4. (of a charge or accusation) to be accepted as valid
5. To become or remain fixed
6. To remain
7. To be detained by an impediment
8. To jam
9. To fail to proceed or advance
10. To scruple
11. To hold fast, keep resolutely (with to)

1. Adhesiveness
2. A hitch
3. A stoppage (obsolete)
4. A difficulty (archaic)

stickabilˈity noun (informal; facetious)

The ability to stick at something, persistence, perseverance

stickˈer noun

1. A gummed label or poster
2. A person who kills pigs, etc
3. A person who or thing that sticks
4. A piercing weapon (informal)
5. A person or thing difficult to get rid of
6. Someone who is constant or persistent
7. A poser
8. A piano jack
9. An upright rod that transmits motion from an organ key

To apply stickers (gummed labels) to

stickˈily adverb

stickˈiness noun

stickˈing noun and adjective

stickˈy adjective

1. Adhesive
2. Tenacious
3. Gluey
4. Muggy
5. Difficult (informal)
6. Unpleasant (informal)
7. (of a website) tending to attract visitors and retain their attention (informal)

To make sticky

An adhesive label or note

stickˈing-plaster noun

An adhesive plaster for covering wounds

stickˈing-point or stickˈing-place noun

The point beyond which a thing cannot proceed

stickˈ-in-the-mud noun

An old fogey (also adjective)

stickit minister noun (Scot)

A licentiate who never gets a pastoral charge

stickˈjaw noun

A stodgy pudding or sweetmeat

stick pin noun (US)

A tie-pin

stickˈseed noun

A plant of the borage family with barbed seeds

stickˈ-up noun

1. A hold-up
2. A stand-up collar

stickˈweed noun

Any plant with clinging seeds, esp ragweed

stickˈybeak noun (Aust and NZ informal)

A Nosey Parker

intransitive verb

To pry

sticky end noun

An unpleasant end, disaster

sticky ends plural noun

Single-stranded ends of DNA that has been cut with a restriction endonuclease, able to pair with complementary ends on, and thus joining, other fragments

stickˈy-fingˈered adjective (informal)

Prone to pilfering

sticky wicket noun

A difficult situation to cope with

sticky willie noun (Scot)

Cleavers (qv under cleave²)

stuck-upˈ adjective

Self-importantly aloof

get stuck in (or into) (informal)

To deal with, consume, attack in a vigorous, aggressive, eager, etc manner

stick around (informal)

To remain or linger

stick at

1. To hesitate or scruple at (often with nothing)
2. To persist at

stick by

To be firm in supporting, adhere closely to

stick 'em up!

Hold up your hands (or be shot)!

stick in (Scot)

1. To persevere assiduously
2. Also (of a dressing, etc) to adhere to a wound

stick in one's throat or craw

To be difficult, or against one's conscience, for one to countenance

stick it to

1. To overcharge systematically
2. To gain a victory over (someone)

stick one's neck out see under neck

stick or snee see snickersnee

stick out

1. To project
2. To be obvious
3. To continue to resist

stick out for

To insist upon

stick to

To persevere in holding to

stick together

1. To be allies
2. To support each other

stick to one's guns see under gun

stick up

1. To stand up
2. To rob at gunpoint, waylay and plunder (esp US; stickˈ-up noun)

stick up for

To speak or act in defence of

stick with

1. To remain with
2. To force (a person) to cope with (something unpleasant), often in the phrase be stuck with

stuck for

Unable to proceed because of the lack of

stuck on (informal)

Enamoured of

• mistold
• mistook
• mist over
• mistral
• mistrals
• mistranslate
• mistranslated
• mistranslates
• mistranslating
• mistranslation
• mistranslations
• mistrayned
• mistreading
• mistreadings
• mistreat
• mistreated
• mistreating
• mistreatment
• mistreatments
• mistreats
• mistress
• mistressed
• mistresses
• mistressing
• mistressless