Stell (Lear, iii. 7). It is very doubtful in what sense this verb is used here. It is usually supposed to be the same as stellar; but there is no instance of its use in that sense, while in Lucrece, st. 207, and in Son. xxiv. we have it in the sense of place, of which (except these passages of our poet) only the following instance has been given, and that of the subst., not the verb. "The said stell of Plessis," Danet, Comines. Stelle and stel are the German and Dutch, stead the English, for place.
Sticking-place (Macb. i. 7). The best explanation of this seems to be that which supposes it to be the point to which the strings of musical instruments are screwed up in tuning.
Stickler (Tr. and Cr. v. 9), one whose office it was, at single combats or trials of skill, to stand by and see fair play, and to end the matter when he deemed it right to do so. He bore a stick, whence the name. Like some other words it has somewhat changed its meaning, for it now means one who contends for something.
Stint (R. and J. i. 3, Tr. and Cr. iv. 5, Tim. v. 5), cease, stop, put an end to. "Stint thy babbling tongue" (Jonson, Cynth. Rev. i. 1). "Stint thy idle chat" (Marston, What You Will). "Lacrimas supprimere, to stint weeping" (Baret, Alvearie).
Strachy. "The Lady of the Strachy" (Tw. N. ii. 5). What the allusion is here, and the meaning of Strachy are alike unknown. Payne Knight conjectured that this word may be a corruption of Stratico, the title of the Governor of Messina; but this is very dubious.
Stuck (Tw. N. iii. 5, Ham. iv. 7), seems to be a corruption of stocco, It., a rapier.
Sword. Swearing by the sword (W. T. ii. 3, Ham. i. 5), was in effect swearing by the Cross, as the hilt and blade were separated by a cross bar of metal.
Take (M. W. iv. 4, Ham. i. 1, Lear, ii. 4), to strike, blast, infect. Here it is used in a causative sense, with an ellipsis of the object, as disease, etc.—Take in (Ant. and Cl. i. 1, iii. 7, Cymb. iv. 2) is the same as the simple take. It is a mere translation of the Dutch ennemen, learned in the wars of the Low Countries.—Take with (1 H. IV. ii. 4, R. and J. iii. 5), cause to understand, keep, as it were, in the same pace with.—Take up (All's Well, ii. 3, 2 H. IV. i. 2), sc. money or things on credit.
Tawdry (W. T. iv. 3), a corruption of Saint Audrey (i.e. Ethelred), the t being, as was so frequently the case, transferred to the following word. A fair was held, chiefly at Ely, on St. Audrey's day (Oct. 17), at which toys, etc., were sold, among these a kind of silken necklaces, much worn by the country-maidens. We should perhaps say simply, lace; for Spenser has
"And gird your waist