stick

[ stik ]

/ stɪk /

noun

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

a relatively long and slender piece of wood.

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

a rod or wand.

a baton.

Chiefly British. a walking stick or cane.

a club or cudgel.

something that serves to goad or coerce: The threat of unemployment was the stick that kept the workers toiling overtime. Compare carrot(def 3).

a long, slender piece or part of anything: a stick of candy; sticks of celery.

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

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

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

Nautical. a mast or spar.

Printing. composing stick.

the sticks, Informal. 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.

Military.

a group of bombs so arranged as to be released in a row across a target.
the bomb load.

Informal. stick shift.

Slang. a marijuana cigarette.

Informal. an unenthusiastic or uninteresting person.

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

verb (used with object), sticked, stick·ing.

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

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

Idioms for stick

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

Origin of stick

before 1000; Middle English stikke, Old English sticca; akin to Old High German stehho, Old Norse stik stick; akin to stick²

OTHER WORDS FROM stick

stick·less, adjective stick·like, adjective

Words nearby stick

stich, sticharion, stichic, stichometry, stichomythia, stick, stick around, stick at, stick by, stick down, stick figure

British Dictionary definitions for short end of the stick (1 of 2)

stick ¹

/ (stɪk) /

noun

a small thin branch of a tree

any long thin piece of wood
such a piece of wood having a characteristic shape for a special purposea walking stick; a hockey stick
a baton, wand, staff, or rod

an object or piece shaped like a stick a stick of celery; a stick of dynamite

See control stick

informal the lever used to change gear in a motor vehicle

nautical a mast or yard

printing See composing stick

a group of bombs arranged to fall at intervals across a target
a number of paratroops jumping in sequence

slang

verbal abuse, criticismI got some stick for that blunder
physical power, force (esp in the phrase give it some stick)

(usually plural) a piece of furniture these few sticks are all I have

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

(plural) Canadian West coast and Northwestern Canadian informal the wooded interior part of the country

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

(plural) goalposts

US obsolete a cannabis cigarette

a means of coercion

informal a dull boring person

(usually preceded by old) informal a familiar name for a person not a bad old stick

in a cleft stick in a difficult position

wrong end of the stick a complete misunderstanding of a situation, explanation, etc

verb sticks, sticking or sticked

to support (a plant) with sticks; stake

Word Origin for stick

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

British Dictionary definitions for short end of the stick (2 of 2)

stick ²

/ (stɪk) /

verb sticks, sticking or stuck

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

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

(tr) to fasten in position by pushing or forcing a point into something to stick a peg in a hole

(tr) to fasten in position by or as if by pins, nails, etc to stick a picture on the wall

(tr) to transfix or impale on a pointed object

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

(when intr, foll by out, up, through, etc) to put forward or be put forward; protrude or cause to protrude to stick one's head out of the window

(tr) informal to place or put in a specified position stick your coat on this chair

to fasten or be fastened by or as if by an adhesive substance stick the pages together; they won't stick

(tr) informal to cause to become sticky

(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

(intr) to remain for a long time the memory sticks in my mind

(tr) slang, mainly British to tolerate; abide I can't stick that man

(intr) to be reluctant

(tr; usually passive) informal to cause to be at a loss; baffle, puzzle, or confuse I was totally stuck for an answer

(tr) slang to force or impose something unpleasant on they stuck me with the bill for lunch

(tr) to kill by piercing or stabbing

stick in one's throat or stick in one's craw informal to be difficult, or against one's conscience, for one to accept, utter, or believe

stick one's nose into See nose (def. 17)

stick to the ribs informal (of food) to be hearty and satisfying

noun

the state or condition of adhering

informal a substance causing adhesion

obsolete something that causes delay or stoppage

See also stick around, stick at, stick by, stick down, stick out, stick to, stick together, stick-up, stick with, stuck

Word Origin for stick

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

Idioms and Phrases with short end of the stick

stick

In addition to the idioms beginning with stick

stick around
stick at
stick by
stick in one's craw
stick it
stick it to someone
stick one's neck out
stick out
stick to
stick together
stick to one's guns
stick to one's last
stick to the ribs
stick up
stick up for
stick with
sticky fingers

also see:

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

Also see understuck.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stick

noun

verb (used with object), sticked, stick·ing.

Idioms for stick

Origin of stick

OTHER WORDS FROM stick

Words nearby stick

British Dictionary definitions for short end of the stick (1 of 2)

noun

verb sticks, sticking or sticked

Word Origin for stick

British Dictionary definitions for short end of the stick (2 of 2)

verb sticks, sticking or stuck

noun

Word Origin for stick

Idioms and Phrases with short end of the stick

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

stick

noun

verb (used with object), sticked, stick·ing.

Idioms for stick

Origin of stick

OTHER WORDS FROM stick

Words nearby stick

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for short end of the stick (1 of 2)

noun

verb sticks, sticking or sticked

Word Origin for stick

British Dictionary definitions for short end of the stick (2 of 2)

verb sticks, sticking or stuck

noun

Word Origin for stick

Idioms and Phrases with short end of the stick

British Dictionary definitions for short end of the stick (1 of 2)