Walkingstick

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A long implement designed to offer stability and support for individuals while they move around in a standing position
2. A sturdy staff carried to assist with balance and ease movement during walking
3. A handheld stick used to provide extra support when standing or strolling

Etymology: "Walking stick" is a compound of "walking," the present participle of "walk," and "stick," a length of wood cut from a tree or shrub. The combination describes a stick used while walking, and the sense of a cane carried for support emerged from this plain pairing of everyday words rather than from a coined or borrowed term. The spelling "walkingstick" is simply the closed-up form of the same compound, written as one word without a space. Both forms refer to the same object, and the solid spelling is an alternative rather than a separate word with its own history.

Synonyms: cane, staff, stick, crutch, support