stalk

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a slender upright object or supporting or connecting part
especially : peduncle
2
a
: the main stem of an herbaceous plant often with its dependent parts
b
: a part of a plant (such as a petiole or stipe) that supports another
stalked adjective
stalkless adjective
stalky adjective

stalk

2 of 3

verb

stalked; stalking; stalks

intransitive verb

1
: to pursue quarry or prey stealthily
2
: to walk stiffly or haughtily

transitive verb

1
: to pursue by stalking
2
: to go through (an area) in search of prey or quarry
stalk the woods for deer
3
: to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment

stalk

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: the act of stalking
2
: a stalking gait

Examples of stalk in a Sentence

Verb a movie about a detective being stalked by a killer This is the time of year when hunters are stalking the woods for deer. She called the police because her ex-boyfriend was stalking her. She angrily stalked out of the room.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The mile-long Terror in the Corn attraction is set in the fictitious town of Raven’s Gulch, where a pair of evil twins likes to stalk and torture unsuspecting victims. Sarah Kuta, The Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2024 The appearance of a polyp may be described as sessile (flat or slightly elevated), pedunculated (having a mushroom shape with a stalk), or serrated (having a sawtooth appearance). James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 2024
Verb
Initially, some members mentioned family members by name, but these details were later scrubbed, to deflect stalking. Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 After three years of high school heroism on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), brooding bloodsucker Angel got his own spinoff series, becoming a private detective stalking the streets of a noir-ish Los Angeles. Danny Horn, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stalk 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stalk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English stalke; akin to Old English stela stalk, support

Verb

Middle English, from Old English bestealcian; akin to Old English stelan to steal — more at steal

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stalk was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stalk

Cite this Entry

“Stalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalk. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

stalk

1 of 3 noun
1
: a slender upright object or supporting or connecting structure
the stalk of a goblet
2
: a plant stem especially of a plant that is not woody
stalks of asparagus
stalked adjective
stalky adjective

stalk

2 of 3 verb
1
a
: to hunt slowly and quietly
stalk deer
b
: to go through (an area) in search of prey
stalk the woods for deer
2
: to walk in a stiff or proud manner
stalked out of the room
3
: to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment
stalker noun

stalk

3 of 3 noun
1
: the act of stalking
2
: a stalking manner of walking

Medical Definition

stalk

noun
: a slender supporting or connecting part : peduncle
the pituitary stalk
stalked adjective
stalkless adjective

Legal Definition

stalk

transitive verb
ˈstȯk
: to subject to stalking

intransitive verb

: to engage in stalking
stalker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on stalk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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