A father and son went fishing one day. While they were out in the boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, "How does this boat float?"
The father replied, "Don"t rightly know, son."
A little later, the boy looked at his father and asked, "How do fish breath underwater?"
Once again the father replied, "Don"t rightly know, son."
A little later the boy asked his father, "Why is the sky blue?"
Again, the father replied, "Don"t rightly know, son."
Finally, the boy asked his father, "Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?"
The father replied, "Of course not, you don"t ask questions, you never learn nothin"."
- (of tea etc.) Become bitter or strong from infusing too long.
- (as stewed adj.) Colloq. Drunk. —n. - dish of stewed meat etc.
- colloq. Agitated or angry state. stew in one's own juice suffer the consequences of one's actions. [french estuver]
STIR
—v. (-rr-) 1 move a spoon etc. Round and round in (a liquid etc.), esp. To mix ingredients.
- a cause to move, esp. Slightly. B be or begin to be in motion.
- rise from sleep.
- arouse, inspire, or excite (the emotions, a person, etc.).
- colloq. Cause trouble between people by gossiping etc. —n. - act of stirring.
- commotion, excitement. stir in add (an ingredient) by stirring. Stir up 1 mix thoroughly by stirring.
- stimulate, excite. stirrer n. [old english]
- n. Slang prison. [origin unknown]
STOL
abbr. Short take-off and landing.
STOP
press n. (often attrib.) Late news inserted in a newspaper after printing has begun.
- —v. (-pp-) 1 a put an end to the progress, motion, or operation of. B effectively hinder or prevent. C discontinue (stop playing).
- come to an end (supplies suddenly stopped).
- cease from motion, speaking, or action.
- defeat.
- slang receive (a blow etc.).
- remain; stay for a short time.
- (often foll. By up) block or close up (a hole, leak, etc.).
- not permit or supply as usual (stop their wages).
- (in full stop payment of or on) instruct a bank to withhold payment on (a cheque). 10 fill (a tooth). 11 press (a violin etc. String) to obtain the required pitch. —n. - stopping or being stopped.
- designated stopping-place for a bus or train etc.
- = *full stop.
- device for stopping motion at a particular point.
- change of pitch effected by stopping a string.
- a (in an organ) row of pipes of one character. B knob etc. Operating these.
- optics & photog. = *diaphragm 3a.
- a effective diameter of a lens. B device for reducing this.
- (of sound) = *plosive. pull out all the stops make extreme effort. Put a stop to cause to end. Stop at nothing be ruthless. Stop off (or over) break one's journey. [old english]
STOW
v. Pack (goods, cargo, etc.) Tidily and compactly. stow away 1 place (a thing) out of the way.
- be a stowaway on a ship etc. [from *bestow]
STUB
—n. - remnant of a pencil or cigarette etc.
- counterfoil of a cheque or receipt etc.
- stump. —v. (-bb-) 1 strike (one's toe) against something.
- (usu. Foll. By out) extinguish (a cigarette) by pressure. [old english]
STUD
—n. - large-headed projecting nail, boss, or knob, esp. For ornament.
- double button, esp. For use with two buttonholes in a shirt-front. —v. (-dd-) 1 set with or as with studs.
- (as studded adj.) (foll. By with) thickly set or strewn with. [old english]
- n. - a number of horses kept for breeding etc. B place where these are kept.
- stallion.
- colloq. Young man, esp. One noted for sexual prowess.
- (in full stud poker) form of poker with betting after the dealing of cards face up. at stud (of a stallion) hired out for breeding. [old english]
STUN
v. (-nn-) 1 knock senseless; stupefy.
- bewilder, shock. [french: related to *astonish]
SUCH
—adj. - (often foll. By as) of the kind or degree indicated (such people; people such as these).
- so great or extreme (not such a fool as that).
- of a more than normal kind or degree (such awful food). —pron. Such a person or persons; such a thing or things. as such as being what has been indicated or named; in itself (there is no theatre as such). Such as for example. [old english, = so like]
SUCK
—v. - draw (a fluid) into the mouth by suction.
- (also absol.) Draw fluid from (a thing) in this way.
- roll the tongue round (a sweet etc.).
- make a sucking action or sound.
- (usu. Foll. By down, in) engulf or drown in a sucking movement. —n. Act or period of sucking. suck dry exhaust the contents of by sucking. Suck in 1 absorb.
- involve (a person) esp. Against his or her will. Suck up 1 (often foll. By to) colloq. Behave obsequiously.
To add to the dictionary krossvordista new word or its definition to an existing word, click on the "Add a word or definition of" fill opened form and click "to send".