stick

/stɪk/

/stɪk/

Other forms: sticks; sticking; sticked

A stick is either a short length of wood—part of a tree branch—or an implement made of wood, like a hockey stick, a walking stick, or the sticks you use to play a drum.

There's also the much shorter popsicle stick or lollipop stick, as well as an airplane pilot's joy stick, a stick of butter, and a long, thin piece of something, like a stick of dynamite or cinnamon. As a verb, stick means "pierce," "fix," or "stay." So you can stick a pin in a balloon, stick a sticker on a window, or stick around your classroom after math class is over.

Definitions of stick

1. noun

   a long thin implement resembling a length of wood
   “cinnamon sticks”

   “a stick of dynamite”

   type of:

   implement

   instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
2. noun

   an implement consisting of a length of wood
   “he collected dry sticks for a campfire”

   “the kid had a candied apple on a stick”

   types:

   bow

   a slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands; used in playing certain stringed instruments

   club

   stout stick that is larger at one end

   divining rod, dowser, dowsing rod, water finder, waterfinder

   forked stick that is said to dip down to indicate underground water or oil

   drumstick

   a stick used for playing a drum

   linstock

   a stick about a meter long with a point on one end (to stick in the ground) and a forked head on the other end (to hold a lighted match); formerly used to fire cannons

   matchstick

   a short thin stick of wood used in making matches

   mahlstick, maulstick

   a long stick that a painter uses to support the hand holding the brush

   backsword, fencing stick, singlestick

   a stick used instead of a sword for fencing

   spindle

   a stick or pin used to twist the yarn in spinning

   staff

   a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose

   stob

   a short straight stick of wood

   swizzle stick

   a small stick used to stir mixed drinks

   walking stick

   a stick carried in the hand for support in walking

   alpenstock

   a stout staff with a metal point; used by mountain climbers

   bat

   a club used for hitting a ball in various games

   baton

   a short staff carried by some officials to symbolize an office or an authority

   bludgeon

   a club used as a weapon

   cane

   a stick that people can lean on to help them walk

   crook, shepherd's crook

   a long staff with one end being hook shaped

   crutch

   a wooden or metal staff that fits under the armpit and reaches to the ground; used by disabled person while walking

   cudgel

   a club that is used as a weapon

   distaff

   the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning

   fiddlestick, violin bow

   a bow used in playing the violin

   flagpole, flagstaff

   a tall staff or pole on which a flag is raised

   Indian club

   a bottle-shaped club used in exercises

   knobkerrie, knobkerry

   a short wooden club with a heavy knob on one end; used by aborigines in southern Africa

   lathee, lathi

   club consisting of a heavy stick (often bamboo) bound with iron; used by police in India

   hammer, mallet

   a light drumstick with a rounded head that is used to strike such percussion instruments as chimes, kettledrums, marimbas, glockenspiels, etc.

   pikestaff

   the staff of a pike

   quarterstaff

   a long stout staff used as a weapon

   supplejack

   walking stick made from the wood of an American tropical vine

   baton, billy, billy club, billystick, nightstick, truncheon

   a short stout club used primarily by police officers

   mace

   a heavy war club, typically with a spiked metal head

   type of:

   implement

   instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
3. noun

   a small thin branch of a tree
   type of:

   limb, tree branch

   any of the main branches arising from the trunk or a bough of a tree
4. noun

   a lever used by a pilot to control the ailerons and elevators of an airplane
   synonyms: control stick, joystick

   type of:

   lever

   a rigid bar pivoted about a fulcrum
5. noun

   a long implement (usually made of wood) that is shaped so that hockey or polo players can hit a puck or ball
   types:

   hockey stick

   sports implement consisting of a stick used by hockey players to move the puck

   polo mallet, polo stick

   a mallet used to strike the ball in polo

   type of:

   sports equipment

   equipment needed to participate in a particular sport
6. noun

   informal terms for the leg
   “fever left him weak on his sticks”

   synonyms: peg, pin

   type of:

   leg

   a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
7. noun

   threat of a penalty
   “the policy so far is all stick and no carrot”

   type of:

   penalisation, penalization, penalty, punishment, sanction

   the act of punishing
8. verb

   put, fix, force, or implant
   synonyms: deposit, lodge, wedge

   types:

   redeposit

   deposit anew

   type of:

   fasten, fix, secure

   cause to be firmly attached
9. verb

   pierce or penetrate or puncture with something pointed
   “He stuck the needle into his finger”

   type of:

   pierce, thrust

   penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument
10. verb

    pierce with a thrust using a pointed instrument
    “he stuck the cloth with the needle”

    type of:

    pierce, thrust

    penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument
11. verb

    stay put (in a certain place)
    “Stick around and you will learn something!”

    synonyms: stay, stay put, stick around

    type of:

    stay in place

    be stationary
12. verb

    be or become fixed
    “The door sticks--we will have to plane it”

    type of:

    be

    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
13. verb

    cover and decorate with objects that pierce the surface
    “stick some feathers in the turkey before you serve it”

    type of:

    adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, grace, ornament

    make more attractive by adding ornament, color, etc.
14. verb

    come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
    “The label stuck to the box”

    synonyms: adhere, cleave, cling, cohere

    adhere, bind, bond, hold fast, stick to

    stick to firmly

    types:

    mold

    fit tightly, follow the contours of

    conglutinate

    stick together

    agglutinate

    clump together; as of bacteria, red blood cells, etc.

    haemagglutinate, hemagglutinate

    cause the clumping together (of red blood cells)

    type of:

    adjoin, contact, meet, touch

    be in direct physical contact with; make contact
15. verb

    stick to firmly
    synonyms: adhere, bind, bond, hold fast, stick to

    adhere, cleave, cling, cohere

    come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation

    types:

    bind

    form a chemical bond with

    ligate

    bind chemically

    type of:

    attach

    become attached
16. verb

    fasten with an adhesive material like glue
    “stick the poster onto the wall”

    synonyms:

    adhere, cleave, cling, cohere

    come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation

    type of:

    fasten

    become fixed or fastened
17. verb

    fasten into place by fixing an end or point into something
    “stick the corner of the sheet under the mattress”

    type of:

    fasten

    become fixed or fastened
18. verb

    fasten with or as with pins or nails
    “stick the photo onto the corkboard”

    type of:

    fasten

    become fixed or fastened
19. verb

    be loyal to
    “The friends stuck together through the war”

    synonyms: adhere, stand by, stick by

    type of:

    be

    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
20. verb

    be a devoted follower or supporter
    “She sticks to her principles”

    synonyms: adhere

    type of:

    adopt, espouse, follow

    choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans
21. verb

    endure
    “The label stuck to her for the rest of her life”

    type of:

    persist, remain, stay

    stay behind
22. verb

    saddle with something disagreeable or disadvantageous
    “They stuck me with the dinner bill”

    synonyms: sting

    type of:

    force, thrust

    impose urgently, importunately, or inexorably
23. noun

    a rectangular quarter pound block of butter or margarine
    type of:

    margarin, margarine, marge, oleo, oleomargarine

    a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils and used as a substitute for butter

    butter

    an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use
24. noun

    marijuana leaves rolled into a cigarette for smoking
    type of:

    butt, cigaret, cigarette, coffin nail, fag

    finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
25. verb

    be puzzling or bewildering to
    “This question really stuck me”

    synonyms: amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, stupefy, vex

    types:

    mix up, stump

    cause to be perplexed or confounded

    riddle

    set a difficult problem or riddle

    elude, escape

    be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by

    defy, refuse, resist

    elude, especially in a baffling way

    type of:

    bedevil, befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle, throw

    be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly