stick

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈstik 

1

: a woody piece or part of a tree or shrub: such as

a

: a usually dry or dead severed shoot, twig, or slender branch

b

: a cut or broken branch or piece of wood gathered for fuel or construction material

2

a

: a long slender piece of wood or metal: such as

(1)

: a club or staff used as a weapon

(2)

: walking stick

b

: an implement used for striking or propelling an object in a game

c

: something used to force compliance

d

: a baton symbolizing an office or dignity

also : a person entitled to bear such a baton

3

: a piece of the materials composing something (such as a building)

4

: any of various implements resembling a stick in shape, origin, or use: such as

a

: composing stick

b

: an airplane lever operating the elevators and ailerons

c

: the gearshift lever of an automobile

5

: something prepared (as by cutting, molding, or rolling) in a relatively long and slender often cylindrical form

a stick of candy

a stick of butter

6

a

: person, chap

b

: a dull, inert, stiff, or spiritless person

7

sticks plural : remote usually rural districts regarded especially as backward, dull, or unsophisticated : boondocks

8

: an herbaceous stalk resembling a woody stick

celery sticks

9

: mast entry 1 sense 1

also : yard entry 1 sense 4

10

: a piece of furniture

11

a

: a number of bombs arranged for release from a bombing plane in a series across a target

b

: a number of parachutists dropping together

12

slang : a marijuana cigarette

13

a

: punishment or the threat of punishment used to force compliance or cooperation

choosing between the carrot and the stick

b

British : criticism, abuse

sticklike

ˈstik-ˌlīk 

adjective

Illustration of stick

• a lacrosse
• b ice hockey
• c field hockey

stick

2 of 4

verb (1)

sticked; sticking; sticks

transitive verb

: to hit or propel (something, such as a hockey puck) with a stick

stick

3 of 4

verb (2)

stuck ˈstək  ; sticking

transitive verb

1

a

: to pierce with something pointed : stab

b

: to kill by piercing

2

: to push or thrust so as or as if to pierce

3

a

: to fasten by thrusting in

b

: impale

c

: push, thrust

4

: to put or set in a specified place or position

5

: to furnish with things fastened on by or as if by piercing

6

: to attach by or as if by causing to adhere to a surface

7

a

: to compel to pay especially by trickery

got stuck with the bar bill

b

: overcharge

8

a

: to halt the movement or action of

b

: baffle, stump

9

a

: cheat, defraud

b

: to saddle with something disadvantageous or disagreeable

is still stuck with that lousy car

10

: to execute (a landing) flawlessly in gymnastics

intransitive verb

1

: to hold to something firmly by or as if by adhesion:

a

: to become fixed in place by means of a pointed end

b

: to become fast by or as if by miring or by gluing or plastering

stuck in the mud

2

a

: to remain in a place, situation, or environment

b

: to hold fast or adhere resolutely : cling

she stuck to her story

c

: to remain effective

d

: to keep close in a chase or competition

3

: to become blocked, wedged, or jammed

4

a

: balk, scruple

b

: to find oneself baffled

c

: to be unable to proceed

5

: project, protrude

stick

4 of 4

noun (2)

1

: a thrust with a pointed instrument : stab

2

a

: delay, stop

b

: impediment

3

: adhesive quality or substance

Phrases

stick in one's craw

: to irritate, nag at, or obsess one

stick it to

: to treat harshly or unfairly

stick one's neck out

: to make oneself vulnerable by taking a risk

stick to one's guns

: to maintain one's position especially in face of opposition

stuck on

: infatuated with

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• boondocks
• boonies [slang]
• country
• countryside
• nowhere

Verb (2)

• adhere
• cleave
• cling
• hew

Choose the Right Synonym for stick

stick, adhere, cohere, cling, cleave mean to become closely attached.

stick implies attachment by affixing or by being glued together.

couldn't get the label to stick

adhere is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together.

antibodies adhering to a virus

cohere suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass.

eggs will make the mixture cohere

cling implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils.

clinging to a capsized boat

cleave stresses strength of attachment.

the wet shirt cleaved to his back

Examples of stick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Popular brands like iRobot Roomba, Shark, Dyson, and Black+Decker are offering big discounts on their robot, upright, cordless stick, and handheld vacuum cleaners. —Jessica Leigh Mattern, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023

Flaky Butter Crust Makes 2 (9-inch) crusts Ingredients: 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup (81g) water 2 1/4 cups (291g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into thin pats In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the water. —The View, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023

The convenient design of the eye brightener stick makes application easy and perfect for on-the-go use. —Kathy Barr, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023

Add a bouquet of miniature blueberry pies on a stick. —Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Nov. 2023

Those range from a power LED that now turns green when the unit is fully charged to an analog stick that's less of a dust magnet to metal screws that are now easier to remove and replace for repairs. —Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023

All vacuums, whether cordless, stick, or upright, can run into the issue of hair getting tangled up in the brushes and clogging the vacuum. —Rachel Trujillo, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023

The biggest complaint about cordless sticks is that older models tend to run out of power within 20 minutes, says Silva Nash. —Laura Daily, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023

This is one of Amazon’s latest streaming sticks, supporting 4K resolution, HDR10 Plus, Wi-Fi 6, and an Alexa voice remote. —Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2023

Verb

While President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping this month agreed to restore military-to-military communication channels, Taiwan remained a sticking point in talks. —Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023

Officials said that both Israel and the U.S. would suspend surveillance drone flights in the enclave -- operations that were one of the final sticking points in the talks. —Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023

What Kore-eda doles out are not revelatory surprises so much as gradual enlightenments, and our attitude toward the characters is forbidden to settle or to stick. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2023

For assembly, all that’s required is sticking the tree to the pin in the center of the base. —Casey Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023

An offseason half-court drill during which Watkins was teamed with forwards Rayah Marshall and Taylor Bigby still sticks in Marshall’s mind. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2023

At the end of your time at camp, stick the lid back on the bucket and take your waste home to dispose of. —Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 19 Oct. 2023

This is a hue that, after spending decades in color-spectrum Siberia, was recently dignified when Pantone nominated Viva Magenta as 2023’s Color of the Year—take that and stick it, stealth-wealth greige. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2023

Data transparency also remains a sticking point between media companies and striking actors, with SAG-AFTRA asking for a form of revenue sharing. —Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English stik, from Old English sticca; akin to Old Norse stik stick, Old English stician to stick

Verb (2)

Middle English stikken, from Old English stician; akin to Old High German sticken to prick, Latin instigare to urge on, goad, Greek stizein to tattoo

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1937, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stick

• put/stick that in your pipe and smoke it
• put/stick two fingers up at someone
• dip/put/stick a toe in the water
• get on the stick
• get/put/stick your/one's oar in
• stick-in-the-mud
• stick like glue
• stick out
• stick to beat (someone) with
• stick with which to beat (someone)
• swagger stick
• carrot-and-stick
• shooting stick
• rhythm stick
• cancer stick
• pogo stick
• cinnamon stick
• make (something) stick
• self-stick
• stick 'em up
• stand/stick out a mile
• composing stick
• big stick
• stick by
• stick at it
• fish stick
• dead-stick landing
• put/stick/raise one's head above the parapet
• anti-stick
• more than someone can shake a stick at
• stick blender
• stick around
• stick shift
• joss stick
• stick up
• stick with
• stick in someone's mind/memory
• stick/poke one's nose in/into
• stick to it
• stick figure
• stick out for (something)
• stick at nothing
• walking stick
• stick-on
• stick one's neck out
• stick to one's guns
• stick insect
• stick together
• stick to
• stick and poke
• stick/stand out like a sore thumb
• swizzle stick
• shake a stick at
• stick in one's craw
• stick-to-itiveness
• stick up for
• stick it to
• the short end of the stick
• the wrong end of the stick

See More

• put/stick that in your pipe and smoke it
• put/stick two fingers up at someone
• dip/put/stick a toe in the water
• get on the stick
• get/put/stick your/one's oar in
• stick-in-the-mud
• stick like glue
• stick out
• stick to beat (someone) with
• stick with which to beat (someone)
• swagger stick
• carrot-and-stick
• shooting stick
• rhythm stick
• cancer stick
• pogo stick
• cinnamon stick
• make (something) stick
• self-stick
• stick 'em up
• stand/stick out a mile
• composing stick
• big stick
• stick by
• stick at it
• fish stick
• dead-stick landing
• put/stick/raise one's head above the parapet
• anti-stick
• more than someone can shake a stick at
• stick blender
• stick around
• stick shift
• joss stick
• stick up
• stick with
• stick in someone's mind/memory
• stick/poke one's nose in/into
• stick to it
• stick figure
• stick out for (something)
• stick at nothing
• walking stick
• stick-on
• stick one's neck out
• stick to one's guns
• stick insect
• stick together
• stick to
• stick and poke
• stick/stand out like a sore thumb
• swizzle stick
• shake a stick at
• stick in one's craw
• stick-to-itiveness
• stick up for
• stick it to
• the short end of the stick
• the wrong end of the stick

See More

Kids Definition

stick

1 of 2 noun

ˈstik 

1

: a cut or broken branch of twig especially when dry and dead

2

: a long slender piece of wood or metal: as

a

: a club or staff used as a weapon

b

: walking stick sense 1

3

: something used for striking or moving an object in a game

4

: something like a stick in shape or use

a stick of dynamite

5

: something prepared in a long and slender form

carrot sticks

a stick of butter

6

: a person who is dull or lifeless

7

plural : remote usually rural districts

way out in the sticks

stick

2 of 2 verb

stuck

ˈstək

; sticking

1

a

: to stab with something pointed : pierce

b

: to kill by piercing

2

: to cause to penetrate

stuck a needle in my finger

3

a

: to fasten by pushing in : attach

stuck a flower in my buttonhole

b

: to push out, up, or under

stuck out my hand

4

: to put or set in a specified place or position

stuck the cap on my head

5

: to cling to a surface

snowflakes stuck on the windowpane

6

a

: to bring to a halt : prevent the movement or action of

the car got stuck in traffic

b

: baffle entry 1 sense 1, stump

got stuck on the first problem

7

a

: cheat entry 1 sense 1, defraud

b

: to burden with something disagreeable

stuck with the job of cleaning up

8

: to become fixed in place by or as if by gluing

his foot stuck in the mud

9

a

: to remain in a place, situation, or environment

decided to stick where he was

b

: to hold to something tightly : cling

she stuck to her story

10

: to become blocked or jammed

the desk drawer always sticks

11

: to be unable to proceed (as through fear or conscience)

Etymology

Noun

Old English sticca

Verb

Old English stician