stick

STIK/stɪk/

Pluralsticks

Verbsticks, sticking, stuck

82 meanings of stick

Practice

1
piece of woodnouncountable or uncountable
A long, thin piece of wood, often a small branch from a tree.
She picked up a stick to draw in the sand.
The dog brought back the stick we had thrown.
Similarbranch, twig, rod, pole
Note
2
stay attachedverbintransitive
To join to a surface and stay there.
Like a magnet holding onto a fridge door.
The label will stick to almost any clean surface.
Wet leaves stuck to the bottom of her shoes.
UsageSay it sticks to something. The past is stuck.
Similarcling, adhere, attach, cleave, bond
Oppositedetach
Note
3
stay loyalverbintransitive
To stay loyal and not change your mind.
Like a teammate who never leaves your side.
Good friends stick together through hard times.
She stuck by her brother no matter what.
UsageStick to a plan. Stick by or with a friend.
Similarstay, stand, hold, keep, adhere
Oppositedesert, abandon, waver
Note
4
jamverbintransitive
To become jammed and unable to move.
Like a zipper that gets caught and won't move.
The drawer will stick if you overfill it.
The door stuck and would not open.
Similarstop, jam, stall, halt
5
verbtransitive
To join something to a surface using glue, tape, or something similar.
Like gluing a poster onto your bedroom wall.
She stuck the photo onto the page.
Please stick a stamp on the envelope.
UsageStick something on or to something else.
Similarglue, paste, gum
Oppositedetach, remove
6
verbintransitive
To continue or last instead of stopping.
Like a song that stays in your head all day.
The new rule will stick if everyone agrees to it.
Her nickname stuck all through school.
UsageOften said of a name or habit: the name stuck.
Similarpersist, continue, endure, persevere, stay
Oppositefade
7
verbtransitive or intransitive
To come out past an edge or surface, often with out, up, or through, or to push something out like this.
Be careful, a nail is sticking up from the floor.
The doctor asked me to stick out my tongue and say "ah."
Similarpoke, jut, protrude, project
8
nouncountable or uncountable
A piece of something shaped like a short rod or bar, such as chalk or wax.
The teacher picked up a stick of chalk and wrote on the board.
We lit a stick of incense, and soon the whole room smelled sweet.
UsageSay a stick of chalk or a stick of wax.
Similarbar
9
put carelesslyverbtransitive
To put something down quickly or without care.
Like tossing your coat onto a chair instead of hanging it up.
Just stick your bag on the chair for now.
He stuck the keys in his pocket and left.
UsageSay where: stick it in the drawer or on the table.
Similarpop
10
poke intoverbtransitive
To push something with a sharp point into another thing.
Like pressing a thumbtack into a board.
She stuck a pin into the map to mark the spot.
Stick the fork into the potato to see if it is soft.
UsageStick a pin into something.
Similarpierce, prick, puncture
11
hockeynouncountable or uncountable
A long thin tool used to hit or control a ball or puck in games like hockey.
Like a special bat made for just one kind of game.
She gripped her hockey stick and chased the puck.
Each hockey player needs skates, a helmet, and a stick.
Note
12
put up withverbcolloquialBritishAustraliatransitive
To put up with something you do not like.
I can't stick that awful noise next door.
I can't stick the smell of fried fish in the kitchen.
UsageUsually can't stick: I can't stick this noise.
Similarendure, tolerate, bear, stand, take
Note
13
game controlnouncountable or uncountable
A handle you move to steer a plane or control a video game.
Like the lever you push around to move a character on the screen.
He grabbed the stick and steered his ship past the asteroids.
My stick stopped working in the middle of the boss fight.
Similarjoystick
Note
14
clubnouncountable or uncountable
A heavy club or baton, often carried by police or guards to hit people.
Like a strong wooden bat used to keep people in line.
The guard gripped his stick as the crowd pushed forward.
Police officers used their sticks to push the protesters back.
Similarclub, baton, truncheon, cudgel, nightstick
15
noun
Places in the countryside that are a long way from any town or city.
My grandparents live way out in the sticks, with no neighbors for miles.
There's no pizza delivery out here in the sticks.
Similarboondocks, backwoods, backwaters
Note

Less common meanings

16
verbdatedtransitive
To stop someone from going on, or to leave them puzzled.
That puzzle in the Sunday paper would stick anybody.
The last question on the test stuck almost everyone.
UsageToday people say stump instead.
Similarstump, thwart
Note
17
manual gearsnouncolloquialUScountable or uncountable
A way of driving where you change gears by hand with a lever, or a car that works this way.
Like a bicycle where you change the gears yourself instead of one that does it for you.
She learned to drive stick the summer she turned sixteen.
His old truck is a stick, so you shift the gears yourself with the lever.
UsageSay drive a stick or drive stick to mean driving a car with manual gears.
Similarstickshift
Oppositeautomatic
Note
18
canenouncountable or uncountable
A long thin object you lean on to help you walk.
Like a third leg that helps you keep your balance.
Grandpa leaned on his stick as he climbed the steps.
She walks with a stick after hurting her knee.
UsageWalk with a stick.
Similarcane
19
chewing gumnouncountable or uncountable
A single flat piece of chewing gum.
He offered me a stick of gum.
She chewed a stick of gum during the test.
UsageSay a stick of gum.
Similarpiece, strip
20
butter blocknounCanadaUScountable or uncountable
A block of butter or margarine equal to half a cup.
The recipe needs one stick of butter.
She let a stick of butter soften on the counter.
UsageSay a stick of butter.
Note
21
punishmentnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A punishment or threat used to make someone behave or work harder.
Like the threat of losing your turn if you break a rule.
The new rules used a stick: anyone late would lose pay.
Managers often rely on the stick instead of praise.
UsageOften said with carrot: carrot and stick.
Similarthreat, penalty, punishment, deterrent, sanction
Oppositecarrot, reward, incentive
Note
22
flash drivenouncountable or uncountable
A small device you plug into a computer to store files.
Like a tiny box that holds your files and fits in your pocket.
She saved her homework onto a stick.
Plug the stick into the USB port to copy the photos.
UsageSave files on a stick.
Similardrive
Note
23
land perfectlyverbtransitive
To land or finish a move perfectly, without losing your balance or making a mistake.
Like jumping off a wall and landing on both feet without wobbling.
She stuck the landing and the crowd cheered.
He needs to stick this jump to win the medal.
UsageUsually stick the landing.
Similarnail, ace, land
Oppositebotch, fluff, flub
Note
24
verbintransitive
When snow lands on the ground and stays frozen instead of melting.
Like frost that stays on the grass on a cold morning.
If it gets cold enough tonight, the snow will stick.
The first snow of the year rarely sticks for long.
Similarsettle, pitch
Oppositemelt, thaw
25
push onto spikeverbtransitive
To push a sharp point through something so it is held in place.
Like pushing a marshmallow onto the end of a fork.
You stick the meat onto the skewer before grilling.
She stuck each olive on a cocktail pick.
UsageStick food on a skewer.
Similarimpale, fix, transfix, stake, pierce
26
cigarettenounslangcountable or uncountable
A cigarette, usually one made of tobacco.
UsageCan be used to count cigarettes: a dollar per stick.
Similarjoint, reefer
Note
27
pool cuenounslangUSuncountable
The long tapered rod used to hit the ball in pool or billiards.
Like the long rod you use to hit balls across a pool table.
He chalked his stick before lining up the shot.
She grabbed a house stick from the wall rack.
Similarcue
28
verbdatedtransitive
To make someone pay money, often too much, or to cheat them.
That shop stuck me for twenty bucks for one little bottle of oil!
Behind all that languid talk she was feverishly computing, "I wonder how much I can stick him for it. A hundred and fifty? But it's worth that - two hundred. He won't value it unless the price is stiff."
1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?Here, stick means to make someone pay, often too much.
UsageSay stick someone for money.
Similarsting, overcharge
Note
29
criticismnounBritishuncountable
Harsh criticism, teasing, or mockery directed at someone.
Like getting teased hard after you slip up.
The referee got a lot of stick from the angry fans.
She took some stick for showing up late again.
UsageSay get stick or take stick, and give someone stick.
Similarflak, criticism, ridicule, mockery, grief
Oppositepraise, acclaim
Note
30
verbUKintransitive
In blackjack, to stop taking more cards and keep the cards you have.
I've got nineteen, so I'll stick.
He stuck on seventeen and lost to the dealer.
UsageSay stick on eighteen. To take a card is to twist.
Similarstand
Oppositehit, twist
Note
31
nounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
One piece of furniture, often one made of wood.
When they moved in, the apartment didn't have a stick of furniture.
They loaded their few sticks of furniture into a borrowed truck.
UsageUsed in stick of furniture: they had not a stick of furniture.
Similarpiece, item
Note
32
verb
To hit someone or something with a stick.
33
noun
The pole that holds a small flag to mark the hole on a golf course.
34
nounslang
Strong energy, effort, or spirit put into doing something.
35
noun
A board used in sports like surfing, snowboarding, or skateboarding.
36
nounUS
A piece of wood used in building, like a two-by-four.
37
noun
The upright piece in a type of wooden joint used for doors.
38
noun
A ship's mast, part of one, or a pole across it that holds a sail.
39
noun
Food or other things put on or around a stick.
40
nounarchaic
A long picture or text on a rod, rolled up when stored.
41
noun
A plane's bomb rack, or bombs, soldiers or supplies dropped from it one after another.
42
noun
Flying a plane using the control lever.
43
nounslangUS
The spinning blades that move a plane through the air.
44
nounslang
A gun you hold in one hand.
45
noundated
A small tray used to put metal letters into lines for printing.
46
nounslang
A slang name for a clarinet, used by jazz players.
47
noun
The whip a rider uses to make a racehorse go faster.
48
nounslangUS
The table game pool, or a single round of it.
49
noun
How far a golf club can send the ball.
50
noun
How hard a certain bat can hit the ball.
51
noun
How well a player can hit the ball.
52
noun
How well a player can aim with a hockey stick.
53
noundated
A person, as in a good old stick, or a whole group of people.
Your father's a great old stick. He's really been very good to me.
1967, Maurice Shadbolt, The Presence of Music: Three Novellas
54
noundated
A very thin person.
"She's a stick, this one. She lacks your—" he patted her left breast— "equipment."
1967, Cecelia Holland, Rakóssy
55
noundated
A helper hidden in the audience who acts like an ordinary watcher.
The kid was a stick, a plant, a student from UNLV who picked up a few bucks nightly by saying the words "seven of hearts."
2001, Paul Quarrington, The Spirit Cabinet
56
noundated
A person paid to gamble so others will join in.
A shill is also called a stick, and the role of the shill or stick is to make the customer relax and feel at ease.
2011, Howard Fast, Helen
57
noundated
Someone stiff in manner who foolishly refuses to change their mind.
58
noundated
A pilot who flies planes built for air combat.
Bill Kirk, described by Robin as a "hell of a stick," didn't even attend college until after the Vietnam War.
2001, John Darrell Sherwood, Fast Movers: America's Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience
59
noundatedSouth Africa
A few soldiers working as a team.
60
nounslang
Beatings, or strong criticism.
61
nounslang
Driving fast and hard.
62
nounobsolete
An old British measure of length, 2 inches or about 5 centimeters.
63
nounarchaic
A group of 25 eels.
The stick is employed for eels, and contained twenty-five.
1866, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England
64
noun
One of eight groups of 16 characters in the ASCII code.
65
verb
To cut a shaped edge on a wooden frame piece so another piece fits it.
66
verbdated
To set metal letters in lines for printing.
67
verb
To put sticks in or around something, for example to hold up climbing plants such as peas.
68
noun
How much something sticks.
69
noun
How well tires grip the road.
70
noun
Something that clings.
71
noun
In fishing, how much line lies on the water when you are about to cast.
72
noun
A stab.
73
verbdated
To hold back or be unwilling.
For thou art so possess’d with murderous hate That ’gainst thyself thou stick’st not to conspire.
1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 10”
74
verbdated
To be confused by something.
75
verbdated
To make someone unsure or slow to act.
76
verb
To push a knife or other sharp point into a person or animal.
77
verbarchaic
To decorate something by pushing things into it.
my shroud of white, stuck all with yew
c. 1601, William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”
78
verb
To grow new plants from bits cut off old ones.
79
verb
To make wooden trim with a machine instead of by hand.
80
verbslangUS
To have sex with someone.
81
adjectivecolloquial
Tending to cling.
82
nounobsolete
An old length for a roll of cloth from Flanders that changed with the kind of cloth.

More uses

sticksa place far from towns and cities

Practice

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

Origins

Meanings 1, 8, 11, 13–15, 17–22, 26–27, 31

From Old English sticca, meaning a rod or twig. It comes from an old root meaning to pierce or be sharp.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Stick comes from Old English sticca, meaning a rod or twig. en.wiktionary.org
Stick ultimately comes from a root meaning to pierce or be sharp. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2–7, 9–10, 12, 16, 23–25, 28, 30

From Old English stician, meaning to pierce, stab, or stay fixed in place. It comes from an old root meaning to pierce or be sharp.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Stick derives from Old English stician, which meant to pierce, stab, or remain fixed. en.wiktionary.org
The word ultimately derives from a root meaning to pierce or be sharp. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 29

This probably comes from the other word stick, meaning "twig, branch." It is based on the idea of a stick used to hit someone as a punishment.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

The criticism sense probably derives from stick meaning a twig or branch. en.wiktionary.org