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Added 9 October 2026

stag

/stæɡ/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about stag at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A male deer, especially an adult male red deer.
Adult male deer.

verb

Attend a dance or a party without a female companion.
Give away information about somebody.
He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam
Watch, observe, or inquire secretly.

Origin

From Middle English stagge, steg, from Old English stagga, stacga (“a stag”) and possibly 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”). Doublet of steg (“gander”). Cognate with Icelandic steggi, steggur (“tomcat, male fox”). Related to staggard, staggon.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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