# stole

Pronunciation: say "STOHL" US /stoʊl/, UK /stəʊl/

## Verb

1. Past tense of steal. — simple past of steal
   - Simple: Past tense of steal. Use it for the past.
   - _She stole a quick glance at him across the crowded room._
   - _Burglars stole jewelry and cash during the late-night break-in._

## Noun

2. A long scarf-like wrap, often made of fur, worn across the shoulders or around the neck.
   - Simple: A long scarf made of fur or cloth, worn around the shoulders.
   - _The actress arrived in a satin gown with a mink stole draped over one arm._
   - _Guests at the winter gala wore velvet stoles against the chill._
3. A decorated band worn across the back of the neck with each end hanging down the chest, used in church services or as part of graduation dress.
   - Simple: A long decorated band worn over the neck and shoulders by priests, or sometimes by graduates.
   - _The deacon's purple stole marked the season of Lent._
   - _Graduates from the honors program wore gold stoles at commencement._
4. A stolon, a horizontal stem that grows along the surface of the ground and takes root to produce new plants.
   - Simple: A stem that grows sideways along the ground and grows new plants where it touches down.
   - _Each stole from the strawberry bed rooted a few inches from the parent plant._
   - _Creeping buttercup spreads across lawns by long stoles that root wherever they touch bare soil._

## Verb

5. Past participle of steal. Archaic or nonstandard; the usual form is stolen. *(archaic)* — past participle of steal
   - Simple: Past participle of steal. An old, informal way of saying 'stolen'.

## Origin

**Meanings 2–3** — This word comes from Old English "stole", borrowed from Latin "stola", which came from Ancient Greek "stolḗ" ("stole, garment, equipment"). It is akin to "stall" and is a doublet of "stola".
**Meaning 4** — This word comes from Latin "stolō", and is a doublet of "stolon".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/stole (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).