Stick

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /stɪk/

Definitions

1. A long, thin piece of wood or other material, typically used for support, hitting, or pointing at things
2. A slender piece of wood or similar material often employed for support, striking objects, or indicating something
3. A narrow, elongated object made of wood or another material that can serve as a tool, weapon, or signaling device

Etymology: The noun and the verb "stick" look unrelated today, but they grew from the same ancient idea of sharpness. The noun comes from Old English "sticca," meaning a stick, peg or rod, which was built from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "pole." The verb descends from Old English "stician," meaning to pierce, stab or remain fixed in something, and it grew from the same Germanic stem. Both trace back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be sharp" or "to sting," so a stick was originally a thing that pricks or pierces. The family reaches well beyond English. Dutch "stek" means a cutting taken from a plant to grow a new one, and German "Stecken" means stick. Further afield, Persian "tēz" means sharp, pungent or swift, and Sanskrit "téjate" means to become sharp or to energize. Latin "instigo," meaning to goad or stimulate, comes from the same root, so the old sense of a sharp point survives in the idea of pricking someone into action.

Synonyms: branch, rod, staff, twig, cane

Antonyms: detach, remove, disperse