1. The act or practice of observing the stars with attention; contemplation of the stars as connected with astrology or astronomy. Swift.
2. Hence, absent-mindedness; abstraction.
STARINGLY
Star"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: With a staring look.
STARK Stark, a. [Compar. Starker; superl. Starkest.] Etym: [OE. stark stiff, strong, AS. stearc; akin to OS. starc strong, D. sterk, OHG. starc, starah, G. & Sw. stark, Dan. stærk, Icel. sterkr, Goth. gastaúrknan to become dried up, Lith. strëgti to stiffen, to freeze. Cf. Starch, a. & n.]
1. Stiff; rigid. Chaucer.
Whose senses all were straight benumbed and stark. Spenser.
His heart gan wax as stark as marble stone. Spenser.
Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff Under the hoofs of vaunting
enemies. Shak.
The north is not so stark and cold. B. Jonson.
2. Complete; absolute; full; perfect; entire. [Obs.] Consider the stark security The common wealth is in now. B. Jonson.
3. Strong; vigorous; powerful. A stark, moss-trooping Scot. Sir W. Scott. Stark beer, boy, stout and strong beer. Beau. & Fl.
4. Severe; violent; fierce. [Obs.] "In starke stours." [i. e., in fierce combats]. Chaucer.
5. Mere; sheer; gross; entire; downright.
He pronounces the citation stark nonsense. Collier.
Rhetoric is very good or stark naught; there's no medium in rhetoric.
Selden.