1385
sty
especially into] to push, especially as filling material: Don't stuff anything else in, or the bag will burst. | He stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket. 3 [T] to fill the skin of (a dead animal), to make it look real: a stuffed elephant 4 [T] to put STUFFING inside: Has the chicken been stuffed? | cheese-stuffed potatoes 5 infml to cause (oneself) to eat as much as possible: The children have been stuffing themselves (with cakes) all morning. 6 get stuffed slang (used for expressing very strong dislike, anger etc): He only offered me £2 for it, so I told him to get stuffed. (=I refused the offer angrily) 7 stuff your face spoken to eat a lot in a short time: We stuffed our faces with tons of hot dogs and cotton candy. | Robbie sat there, stuffing his face as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.
stuff sthg. ↔ up phr v [T often pass.] to block completely: Stuff up that hole with some newspaper. | I'm all stuffed up/have got a stuffed-up nose (=have my nose blocked because of a cold) today.
,stuffed 'animal n AmE for SOFT TOY
,stuffed 'shirt n derog someone who acts as if they were grand and important; POMPOUS person
stuff-ing /'stʌfɪŋ/ n [U] 1 material used as a filling for something: Use feathers as stuffing. | (fig.) I'm afraid that long illness has really knocked the stuffing out of him. (=made him weak and powerless) 2 || also dressing AmE finely cut-up food (e.g. a mixture of bread, egg, onion, and HERBS) placed inside a bird or piece of meat before cooking: sage-and-onion stuffing
stuff-y /'stʌfi/ adj derog 1 (having air) which is not fresh: a stuffy room/atmosphere 2 (of ideas, manners etc) formal and old-fashioned; PRIM: Don't be so stuffy - of course they can use the same bedroom. —ily adv —iness n [U]
stul-ti-fy /'stʌltɪfaɪ/ v [T] fml to make stupid or dull in mind: the stultifying effect of uninteresting work —ification /ˌstʌltɪfɪ'keɪʃən/ n [U]
stum-ble¹ /'stʌmbəl/ v [I] 1 [(on, over)] to hit one's foot against something while moving along and start to fall: He stumbled and fell. | She stumbled on a stone/over a branch. 2 [+adv/prep, especially along] to walk unsteadily: I stumbled upstairs and dropped into bed. 3 [(at, over)] to stop and/or make mistakes in speaking or reading aloud: He stumbled at/over the long word. | Somehow he stumbled through his speech and sat down with great relief.
stumble across/on/upon sbdy./sthg. phr v [T] to meet or discover by chance: While I was doing my research, I stumbled on some fascinating new data.
stumble² n an act of stumbling
'stumbling block n [(to)] something which prevents action, advance, or development; OBSTACLE: The question of overtime pay proved to be an insurmountable stumbling block to agreement.
stump¹ /stʌmp/ n 1 the base of a tree left after the rest has been cut down 2 (in cricket) any of the three upright pieces of wood at which the ball is thrown 3 the useless end of something long which has been worn down, such as a tooth, pencil etc; STUB 4 the remaining part of a limb which has been cut off -> see also stir one's stumps (STIR¹)
stump² v 1 [I+adv/prep] to move, especially heavily or awkwardly: He stumped angrily up the stairs. 2 [T] infml to leave (someone) unable to reply; BAFFLE: You've/That question's got me stumped; I don't know the answer. 3 [T] (in cricket) to end the turn to hit of (a BATSMAN) who has moved outside the hitting area, by touching the STUMPS with the ball 4 [iT] AmE to travel in or around (an area) making appearances to gain political support: The candidates are stumping Vermont. | He'll be stumping hard for the next three months.
stump up (sthg.) phr v [iT] infml, especially BrE to pay (money), especially unwillingly: He eventually stumped up £5 for the charity, but only after we'd asked him several times.
stump-y /'stʌmpi/ adj infml, usually derog (especially of the body or part of the body) short and thick: stumpy little fingers
stun /stʌn/ v -nn- [T] 1 to make unconscious by hitting on the head: I was momentarily stunned by the fall. 2 to shock or surprise very greatly: He seemed completely stunned by the jury's verdict of guilty. | a stunned silence
stung /stʌŋ/ past tense & participle of STING
stun gun n a weapon like a long stick which gives out a very strong electric current and can be used to make people unconscious. In some countries stun guns are used by the police to control RIOTS.
stunk /stʌŋk/ past tense & participle of STINK
stun-ner /'stʌnə/ n old-fash infml someone or something very attractive, especially a woman: She's a real stunner.
stun-ning /'stʌnɪŋ/ adj 1 extremely attractive or beautiful: stunning scenery | She looks absolutely stunning in that dress. 2 very surprising or shocking: stunning news —ly adv: stunningly (=extremely) obvious
stunt¹ /stʌnt/ v [T] to prevent the full growth of: Lack of the right food may stunt growth. | He had a small stunted body.
stunt² n 1 an often dangerous act of skill: In the film he had to drive a car into the sea, and other hair-raising stunts. | The plane flew upside down, turned over twice, and did a few more stunts before landing. | stunt flying | (fig.) If you go on pulling stupid stunts (=doing silly things) like that, you'll lose us all our money. 2 an action which gains attention, especially in advertising: They had girls going round dressed up as chickens as a publicity stunt for their new chickenburgers.
'stunt man, 'stunt ,woman fem. — n a person who takes over from an actor when something dangerous has to be done in a film so that the actor does not have to take risks
stu-pe-fy /'stju:pɪfaɪ||'stu:-/ v [T often pass.] fml 1 to surprise greatly and usually annoy; AMAZE: stupefying inefficiency 2 to make unable to think or feel: He was in a stupefied state after all the drugs they'd given him. —faction /ˌstju:pɪ'fækʃən||stu:-/ n [U]
stu-pen-dous /stju:'pendəs||'stu:-/ adj surprisingly great or good: a stupendous effort/discovery | We had a stupendous time at the party. —ly adv
stu-pid¹ /'stju:pɪd||'stu:-/ adj 1 silly or foolish, either generally or in particular: a stupid person/idea | It was stupid of you to turn it upside down without closing the lid. | I think you were stupid not to accept his offer. 2 [A] infml (of a thing) annoying: This stupid drawer won't open. —ly adv
stupid² n [S] derog an insulting way of talking to someone who you think is being stupid: No, stupid, don't do it like that!
stu-pid-i-ty /stju:'pɪdɪtɪ||'stu:-/ n 1 [U] the quality of being stupid 2 [C usually pl.;U] (an example or act of) stupid behaviour
stu-por /'stju:pə||'stu:-/ n [C;U] a state in which one cannot think or use one's senses: a drunken stupor
stur-dy /'stɜ:di||-ɜ:r-/ adj apprec 1 strong and firm, especially in body; not likely to break or fall, especially because of thickness: With his sturdy legs he could keep running for hours. | Make sure that fence you're putting up is good and sturdy. | a sturdy oak tree 2 unwilling to be defeated; determined: They kept up a sturdy opposition to the plan. —ily adv: She sturdily denied her guilt. —iness n [U]
stur-geon /'stɜ:dʒən||-ɜ:r-/ n a large fish which can be eaten and from which CAVIAR is obtained
stut-ter¹ /'stʌtə/ v 1 [I;T] to speak or say with difficulty in producing sounds, especially habitually repeating the first consonant: 'I c-c-can't help it', he stuttered. -> compare STAMMER 2 [I] to work or move unevenly or jumpily: I pressed the starter and the old engine stuttered into life. —er n —ingly adv
stutter² n the habit of stuttering in speech: He has a nervous stutter/speaks with a stutter.
Stuy·ve·sant, Peter /'staɪvəsənt/ (1592-1672) the last Dutch GOVERNOR of the COLONY of New Netherland (which contained parts of the current states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware), before it became part of the British Empire
St Vin·cent and the Gren·ad·ines /ˌsənt ˌvɪnsənt ən ðə ˌgrenə'di:nz||seɪnt-/ a country in the east Caribbean Sea consisting of a main island called St Vincent, and some smaller islands called the Grenadines. Population: 116,812 (2003). Capital: Kingstown.
sty¹ /staɪ/ n a PIGSTY
sty², stye /staɪ/ n an infected place on the edge of the eyelid, usually red and swollen