squich, to move quickly. Marriage of Wit and Science, in Hazlitt’s Dodsley. ii. 387; to wince, to flinch, Soliman and Perseda, iv. (Basilisco), id., v. 343. Probably identical with prov. E. switch, to move quickly, see EDD. (s.v. Switch, vb.1 9).
squince, the quinsy. Sir T. Elyot, Governour, bk. iii, c. 22, § 3; ‘Squinantia, the Squince or Squinancie’, Florio; also squincy, ‘Esquinance, the Squincy’, Cotgrave; ‘Shall we not be suspected for the murder, And choke with a hempen squincy’, Randolph, The Jealous Lovers (ed. 1634, p. 54). ME. squynesy, ‘squinancia’ (Prompt. EETS. 431). Sec Dict. (s.v. Quinsy).
squinny, squiny, to look asquint. King Lear, iv. 6. 140; ‘How scornfully she squinnies’, Shirley, Sisters, ii. 2 (Antonio). In prov. use in various parts of England (EDD.).
squire, squier, a ‘square’, a rule for measuring, Wint. Tale, iv. 4. 348; by the squire, by exact rule, B. Jonson, Tale of a Tub, iv. 2 (Pan). ME. squire, a carpenter’s instrument (Chaucer, C. T. D. 2090). F. ‘esquierre, a rule or square’ (Cotgr.).
staddle, a prop, support. Spenser, F. Q. i. 6. 14; a young growing tree left standing in a wood after the underwood has been cut away, Bacon, Essay 29, § 5; id., Henry VII (ed. Lumby, 72). See EDD. OE. staþol, a foundation, firm support.
staffe, a stave, a stanza; ‘Staffe . . . The Italian called it Stanza’, Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, bk. ii, c. 2 (Of proportion in Staffe).
staffier, a lacquey, a footman. Butler, Hud. ii. 2. 651. F. ‘estaffier, a lackey or footboy, that runs by the stirrup; a servingman that waits afoot, while his master rides; estaphe, a stirrup’ (Cotgr.); Ital. staffiere, ‘a lacquey, that runs by a man’s stirrup’; staffa, ‘a kind of stirrup for a saddle’ (Florio). Of Germ. origin, cp. G. stapfe, a foot-step.
staggers, a sudden fit of giddiness, vertigo. Beaumont and Fl., Mad Lover, i. 1 (Calis); Cymbeline, v. 5. 234; All’s Well, ii. 3. 170; a disease in horses indicated by staggering and falling down, Taming Shrew, iii. 2. 55.
stakker, to stagger. Morte Arthur, leaf 232, back, 6; bk. x, c. 30; and in Palsgrave. ME. stakeren, to stagger (Chaucer, Leg. G. W. 2687). Norw. dial. stakra, to stagger (Aasen).
stale, a station where one lies in wait for birds; ‘Stale for foules takynge’, Palsgrave; to lie in stale, to lie in wait or ambush, ‘As I lay in stale To fight with the duke Richard’s eldest son, I was destroy’d’, Mirror for Mag., 366 (Nares); Stanyhurst, Desc. Ireland (Halliwell). ME. staal, of fowlynge or of byrdys takynge ‘stacionaria’ (Prompt. EETS. 432). OF. estal, place, séjour, arrêt; prendre son estal, prendre position (Didot), Anglo-F. estal (Ch. Rol. 1108, 2319).