stare
verbnounnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//stɛə//
- United Kingdom//stɛː//
- United States//stɛɚ//
- Australia//steː//
To look fixedly (at something).
verb
- 1
To look fixedly (at something).
She found him staring with raised eyebrows at her.
Her sturdy stallion had now unbutton'd, and produced naked, stiff, and erect, that wonderful machine, which I had never seen before, and which, for the interest my own seat of pleasure began to take furiously in it, I star'd at with all the eyes I had
A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire. In fact, that arm-chair had been an extravagance of Mrs. Bunting. She had wanted her husband to be comfortable after the day's work was done, and she had paid thirty-seven shillings for the chair.
- 2
To influence in some way by looking fixedly.
to stare a timid person into submission
- 3
To be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, colour, or brilliancy.
staring windows or colours
- 4
obsoleteTo stand out; to project; to bristle.
Makest my blood cold, and my hair to stare.
Take off all the staring straws, twigs and jags in the hive.
Etymology
From Middle English staren, from Old English starian (“to stare”), from Proto-West Germanic *starēn, from Proto-Germanic *starjaną, *starāną (“to be fixed, be rigid”), from Proto-Indo-European *ster-. Cognate with Dutch staren (“to stare”), German starren (“to stare”), German starr (“stiff”). More at start.
noun
- 1
A persistent gaze.
the stares of astonished passers-by
Who's that lounging in my chair? / Who's that casting devious stares in my direction?
noun
- 1
archaicA starling.
The Stares be bigger than thoſe in England, as blacke as Crovves, being the most troubleſome, and injurious bird of all others, pulling up the cornes by the roots, vvhen it is young, […]
Etymology
From Middle English star, ster, from Old English stær (“starling”), from Proto-Germanic *starô (“starling”), from Proto-Indo-European *stor- (“starling”). Cognate with German Star (“starling”), Danish stær (“starling”), Swedish stare (“starling”), Norwegian Nynorsk stare (“starling”), Icelandic stari (“starling”). Compare also Old English stearn (“a type of bird, starling”).
Forms
- plural
- stares
- past tense
- stared
- past participle
- stared
- present participle
- staring
- third person singular
- stares