Stalk Definition

stôk
stalked, stalking, stalks
noun
stalks
A slow, stiff, haughty, or grim stride.
Webster's New World
The act of stalking game, an enemy, etc.
Webster's New World
The main stem or axis of a plant.
Webster's New World
Any stem or stemlike part, as a slender rod, shaft, or support.
Webster's New World
A lengthened support for an animal organ.
Webster's New World
verb
stalked, stalking, stalks
To pursue or approach (game, prey, etc.) stealthily.
Webster's New World
To advance or spread grimly.
Plague stalks across the land.
Webster's New World
To follow or pursue (another person) persistently in a harassing and, typically, obsessive way.
Webster's New World
To walk in a stiff, haughty, or grim manner.
Webster's New World
To go through (an area) in pursuit of prey or quarry.
American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Stalk

Noun

Singular:
stalk
Plural:
stalks

Origin of Stalk

  • From Middle English stalken, from Old English -stealcian (as in Old English bestealcian (“to move stealthily"), stealcung (“stalking")), from Proto-Germanic *stalkōnÄ… 'to move stealthily' (compare Dutch stelkeren, stolkeren 'to tip-toe, tread carefully', Danish stalke (“to high step, stalk"), Norwegian dialectal stalka 'to trudge'), from *stalkaz, *stelkaz (compare Old English stealc 'steep', Old Norse stelkr, stjalkr (“knot (bird), red sandpiper")), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)telg, *(s)tolg- (compare Middle Irish tolg (“strength"), Lithuanian stalgùs (“stiff, defiant, proud")).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English stalke, diminutive of stale 'ladder upright, stalk', from Old English stalu 'wooden upright', from Proto-Germanic *stalÇ­ (compare Middle Low German stal, stale 'chair leg'), variant of *steluz, stelōn 'stalk' (compare Old English stela, Dutch steel, German Stiel, Danish stilk), from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (compare Albanian shtalkë (“crossbeam, board used as a door hinge"), Welsh telm (“frond"), Ancient Greek stélos 'beam', Old Armenian Õ½Õ¿Õ¥Õ²Õ¶ (steÅ‚n, “trunk, stalk")).

    From Wiktionary

  • Alternate etymology connects Proto-Germanic *stalkōnÄ… 'to stalk, move stealthily', to a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *stelanÄ… 'to steal'.

    From Wiktionary

  • 1530, 'to walk haughtily', perhaps from Old English stealc 'steep', from Proto-Germanic *stelkaz, *stalkaz 'high, lofty, steep, stiff'; see above

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English probably diminutive of stale upright of a ladder, post, handle from Old English stalu stel- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English stalken from Old English -stealcian to move stealthily (in bestealcian)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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