stag

Signification

Noun

1. An adult male deer, especially a red deer and especially one in high adulthood versus a young adult.
2. A young horse (colt or filly).
3. A male turkey: a turkeycock.
4. (obsolete) A romping girl; a tomboy.
5. An improperly or late castrated bull or ram – also called a bull seg (see note under ox).
6. An outside irregular dealer in stocks, who is not a member of the exchange.
7. One who applies for the allotment of shares in new projects, with a view to sell immediately at a premium, and not to hold the stock.
8. An unmarried man; a bachelor; a man not accompanying a woman at a social event.
9. A social event for men held in honor of a groom on the eve of his wedding, attended by male friends of the groom; sometimes a fundraiser.
10. (slang) An informer.
11. (slang) Guard duty.
12. A stag beetle (family Lucanidae).
13. The Eurasian wren, Troglodytes troglodytes.

Verb

1. To act as a "stag", an irregular dealer in stocks.
2. To watch; to dog, or keep track of.

Adv

Of a man, attending a formal social function without a date.

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/stæɡ/

Étymologie

From Middle English stagge, steg, from Old English stagga, stacga (“a stag”) and Old Norse steggi, steggr (“a male animal”), both from Proto-Germanic *staggijô, *staggijaz (“male, male deer, porcupine”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *stegʰ-, *stengʰ- (“to sting; rod, blade; sharp, stiff”). Cognate with Icelandic steggi, steggur (“tomcat, male fox”). Related to staggard, staggon.