noun “stick”
sg. stick, pl. sticks or uncountable
- a long, thin piece of wood, fallen or cut off from a tree or bush
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He used a long stick to poke the campfire.
- a cane or walking stick for assistance in walking
Grandma always takes her stick with her when she goes for a walk in the park.
- a cudgel or truncheon, often used by police or guards
The officer pulled out his stick when he saw the crowd getting unruly.
- in Canada and the US, a small block of shortening, like butter or margarine, measuring half a cup
For the cookies, you'll need to melt a whole stick of margarine.
- a standard piece of chewing gum
I bought a pack of mint gum, but I'll only need one stick for now.
- something wrapped around or attached to a stick
At the fair, I treated myself to a stick of delicious caramel apples.
- in the US, colloquially, vehicles with manual transmissions
Learning to drive stick is a useful skill, even though automatic cars are more common now.
- a joystick in video games
He quickly moved the stick to the left to avoid crashing his spaceship in the game.
- a memory stick in computing
I transferred all my project files onto a stick to easily share them with my team.
- in sports, a long thin implement for controlling a ball or puck
He skillfully maneuvered the puck towards the goal with his hockey stick.
- in horse racing, the short whip carried by a jockey
During the race, the jockey used his stick to encourage his horse to run faster.
- a board used in board sports, like a surfboard or skateboard
He waxed his stick carefully before hitting the waves.
- in golf, the pole with a flag marking the hole
She aimed carefully, hoping to get her ball close to the stick on the green.
- a thin or wiry person
Despite her athletic prowess, the other girls cruelly called her a stick because of her slender frame.
- in carpentry, the vertical part of a cope-and-stick joint
In assembling the cabinet door, he carefully measured and cut the sticks before joining them with the horizontal pieces.
- (US) a timber board
We bought several sticks at the lumberyard to frame the new wall in our kitchen.
- in US military slang from World War I, an aircraft’s propeller
After the engine failure, the pilot sadly remarked that the stick wasn't spinning anymore.
- the quality of being sticky
The stick of the gum to the bottom of the table was so strong that it took me an hour to scrape it off.
verb “stick”
stick; he sticks; past stuck, part. stuck; ger. sticking
- to become or remain attached
The label stuck to the jar even after washing it.
- to attach something with glue or as if by gluing
She stuck the poster to the wall with double-sided tape.
- to jam or stop moving
The key in the lock stuck and wouldn't turn anymore.
- (in "to stick with") to continue doing or using
She decided to stick with her old car, despite its many issues, because she couldn't afford a new one.
- to persist or continue to be used
Despite the years, the habit of waking up early stuck with her.
- to remain loyal or firm
Even when things got tough, she stuck to her friends, never wavering in her support.
- to place or set down quickly or carelessly
It's fine, just stick the backpack in the corner.
- to press something sharp into something else
She stuck the needle into the fabric to start sewing.