Stag Meaning
/ˈstæɡ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn adult male deer, especially a red deer and especially one in high adulthood versus a young adult.
nounA young horse (colt or filly).
Sentence Examples
He drew a bead on a stag at bay.
I went stag to the prom.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the forest, we saw a large ____ with impressive antlers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A large ____ with impressive antlers was seen standing at the edge of the forest at dawn today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English stagge, steg, from Old English stagga, stacga (“a stag”) and possibly Old Norse steggi, steggr (“a male animal”), both from Proto-Germanic *staggijô, *staggijaz (“male, male deer, porcupine”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *stegʰ-, *stengʰ- (“to sting; rod, blade; sharp, stiff”). Doublet of steg (“gander”). Cognate with Icelandic steggi, steggur (“tomcat, male fox”). Related to staggard, staggon.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The city recently carried out a deer census, determining there are 313 stags (males), 798 does (females) and 214 fawns (babies) in Nara Park."
— 2024 July 23, Lilit Marcus, “Japan may be sick of mass tourism. But the deer in this ancient UNESCO-listed city love it”, in CNN:
"We had two disturbers of the harmony of the ship; I mean two stags or informers, one named Robert Wilson, the other John Hewit, from the north of Ireland."
— 1838, [Joseph Holt], edited by T. Crofton Croker, Memoirs of Joseph Holt, General of the Irish Rebels, in 1798, volume II, London: Henry Colburn, page 52:
"Between shifts on stag or manning the radio, we grabbed a few hours sleep."
— 2000, Richard Tomlinson, The big breach: from top secret to maximum security, page 31:
"Three days were spent on standby or patrols and a fourth day on guard, with at least eight hours on stag."
— 2012, Max Benitz, Six Months Without Sundays: The Scots Guards in Afghanistan:
"Members of the genus Pasimachus […] can be confused with stag beetles […] but stags have elbowed antennae."
— 2007, Eric R. Eaton, Kenn Kaufman, Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, page 132:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
In the forest, we saw a large ____ with impressive antlers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A large ____ with impressive antlers was seen standing at the edge of the forest at dawn today.