stage

STAYJ/steɪd͡ʒ/

Pluralstages

Verbstages, staging, staged

25 meanings of stage

Practice

1
phasenouncountable
A point or step in how something grows or changes over time.
Like steps on a staircase, where each step takes you higher.
The plant is at an early stage of growth.
Caterpillars go through several stages before becoming butterflies.
UsageSay at an early stage. In stages means a little at a time.
Similarphase, step, point, period, juncture
Note
2
theater platformnouncountable
A raised floor where actors, singers, or speakers perform in front of an audience.
Like the front of a classroom where everyone can see the person speaking.
The singer walked onto the stage and waved to the crowd.
Children stood on the stage to receive their awards.
UsageSay on stage or on the stage for where performers stand.
Similarplatform, dais
Note
3
theater worldnounmetonymicallyuncountablewith the
The job or art of acting in plays for an audience.
Like choosing acting as your life's work.
She left the stage to teach acting.
He gave up the stage after twenty years.
UsageGo on the stage means become an actor.
Similartheater, drama
Note
4
hold (event)verbtransitive
To plan and carry out an event or activity.
The club will stage a fundraiser next month.
Volunteers staged a cleanup along the river.
UsagePeople stage a protest or stage a strike.
Similarorganize, hold, mount, launch, host
Note
5
put on (play)verbtransitive
To put on a play or show for people to watch.
The school will stage a musical this year.
They staged the play in an old barn.
Similarproduce, mount, present, perform
6
public arenanouncountable
A place where something is shown to the public or an important event happens.
Like a spotlight that lets everyone see what is happening.
The city became the stage for a huge celebration.
The summit turned the small town into a world stage.
UsageSay on the world stage for in front of the whole world.
Similararena, scene, setting, forum, venue
Note
7
journey legnouncountable
One part of a journey between two rest stops.
Like one leg of a long race before the next checkpoint.
They finished the first stage of the trip by noon.
He travelled by gig, with his wife, his favourite horse performing the journey by easy stages.
1858, Samuel Smiles, Robert StephensonHere, stages means parts of a journey between rest stops.
Similarleg, section, stretch, lap
Note
8
rocket sectionnouncountable
One part of a rocket or missile that fires in turn and then drops away.
Like a relay race, where one runner finishes and the next one starts.
The first stage lifted the rocket off the launch pad.
Once the lower stage burned out, it fell back toward earth.
Note
9
game levelnouncountable
One of the separate parts or levels that make up a video game.
Like chapters in a book that you go through one after another.
She finally beat the hardest stage in the game.
Each stage has its own boss to defeat.
UsagePlayers beat a stage, just like a level.
Similarlevel
10
fakeverbtransitive
To fake an event so it looks real to other people.
Like pretending to trip on purpose so people feel sorry for you.
They tried to stage an accident to collect money.
The photo was staged to fool readers.
UsageOften was staged or a staged accident, meaning faked.
Similarfake, engineer, contrive, rig
11
verbtransitive
To fill a home that is for sale with nice furniture and things so buyers like it more.
We paid a designer to stage our house before we put it up for sale.
The agent staged the empty apartment with a couch, rugs and a few plants.

Less common meanings

12
set up aheadverbtransitive
To put something in place so it is ready to be used.
Workers stage the materials near the entrance.
They staged the equipment by the door before the move.
UsageYou stage tools or supplies so they are ready.
Similarposition, station, place
Note
13
assess diseaseverbtransitive
To find out how far a disease or other health problem has gone.
Doctors stage the cancer before choosing a treatment.
The nurse will stage the sore on his heel and write it in his chart.
UsageDoctors say a cancer is staged; this is called staging.
Note
14
horse coachnouncountable
A horse-drawn coach that carried passengers along a set route.
Like a bus from long ago, but pulled by horses.
They took the stage from town to the coast.
The stage arrived late because of muddy roads.
Similarstagecoach, coach
Note
15
microscopenouncountable
The flat part of a microscope that holds the slide you look at.
Like a small table that holds your slide so you can look at it closely.
She placed the slide on the stage and looked through the lens.
The stage holds the slide steady while you focus.
16
separate (rocket)verbintransitive
To drop off an empty rocket part and start the engines of the next part.
Like a runner who passes the baton and then leaves the track.
The rocket will stage about two minutes after liftoff.
It staged cleanly and climbed toward orbit.
Similarseparate
17
scaffoldingnouncountable
A raised platform that workers stand on to reach high places.
Like a big shelf that workers stand on to reach high spots.
Window washers rode a swing stage down the side of the tower.
Two workers on a hanging stage painted the top floors.
Similarscaffold, platform
18
floating docknouncountable
A platform, sometimes floating, used like a small dock by the water.
Like a low platform at the water's edge where boats can pull up.
The boat tied up at the wooden stage by the river.
Fishermen unloaded their catch onto the floating stage.
Similarjetty, landing, pontoon, pier, dock
19
noundatedcountable
A place along an old road where travelers stopped to rest or change horses.
Like a rest stop on a highway where you pause before driving on.
The coach stopped at the next stage to change horses.
In the old days, coach riders stopped at each stage to rest and get fresh horses.
Similarstation, post
Note
20
noun
One part or block of an electronic circuit, such as an amplifier or filter.
21
noun
A set of rock layers formed during one short period of Earth's history.
22
noun
A short time working as a learner, often for no pay, usually in a restaurant kitchen.
23
verb
To work for a short time as a learner, often for no pay, usually in a restaurant kitchen.
24
noun
The imagined space where different sounds seem to come from when you listen in stereo.
25
nounarchaic
One floor or level of a building.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of stage apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

Old French had estage, a dwelling or a position, from a verb meaning 'to be standing' or 'be located'. Middle English took it as stage.