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.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Of a man, attending a formal social function without a date.
My brother went stag to prom because he couldn't find a date.
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steg
alternative, dialectal
lexicographic
stagg
alternative, obsolete
lexicographic
staig
Scotland, alternative
lexicographic
stagge
alternative, obsolete
lexicographic
Translations (1)
fi ilman seuralaista (of a man, attending a formal social function without a date)
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.
Meanings
(countable) An adult male deer, especially a red deer and especially one in high adulthood versus a young adult.
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, archived from the original on 29 Aug 2024:
(Scotland, countable) A young horse (colt or filly).
(UK, countable, uncountable) A male turkey: a turkeycock.
(broadly, countable, obsolete) A romping girl; a tomboy.
(countable) An improperly or late castrated bull or ram – also called a bull seg (see note under ox).
(countable) An outside irregular dealer in stocks, who is not a member of the exchange.
(countable) One who applies for the allotment of shares in new projects, with a view to sell immediately at a premium, and not to hold the stock.
(attributive, countable, usually) An unmarried man; a bachelor; a man not accompanying a woman at a social event.
a stag dance; a stag party; a stag bar
(countable) A social event for men held in honor of a groom on the eve of his wedding, attended by male friends of the groom; sometimes a fundraiser.
The stag will be held in the hotel's ballroom.
(colloquial, countable, uncountable) A man who allows his wife to have sex with other men.
The stag gets a thrill from watching his vixen have sex with another man. 2018 June 1, Holly O'Mahony, Lollie Barr, “‘Stag’ men love watching other guys have sex with their wives… but it’s not cuckolding”, in The Sun, archived from the original on 04 Jun 2018:
(countable, slang) An informer.
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:
(UK, slang, uncountable) Guard duty.
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:
(countable) A stag beetle (family Lucanidae).
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:
(countable) The Eurasian wren, Troglodytes troglodytes.
pt potro (colt or filly) · el αρσενικό ελάφι (adult male deer) · fi peukaloinen (Eurasian wren) · pl młoda klacz (colt or filly) · fi pörssipeluri (one who applies for shares with a view to sell immediately at a premium) · da hjort (adult male deer) · fa ستاغ (colt or filly) · no kronhjort (adult male deer) · nrf chèr (adult male deer) · enm stagge (colt or filly) · fo hjørtur (adult male deer) · bg борсов спекулант (irregular dealer in stocks) · de wilde Hummel (romping girl) · he איל (castrated bull) · nl hertenbok (adult male deer) · non hjǫrtr (adult male deer) · ga carria (adult male deer) · fi uroshirvi (adult male deer) · gd damh (castrated bull) · es potra (colt or filly) · hu szarvas (adult male deer) · pl kastrat (castrated bull) · ro cerb (adult male deer) · vo jobub (castrated bull) · pt veado adulto (adult male deer) · pl strzyżyk (Eurasian wren) · cop ⲉⲓⲟⲩⲗ (adult male deer) · fi varsa (colt or filly) · fr bœuf (castrated bull) · fi jobbari (irregular dealer in stocks) · vo stäg (adult male deer) · ru рогач (adult male deer) · uga 𐎓𐎊𐎍 (adult male deer) · pl źrebak (colt or filly) · enm stagge (adult male deer) · pt carriça (Eurasian wren) · fr cerf (adult male deer) · no emisjonsjobber (one who applies for shares with a view to sell immediately at a premium) · vo hobub (castrated bull) · io cervulo (adult male deer) · be рагач (adult male deer) · es potro (colt or filly) · vo histäg (adult male deer) · vo jijevodül (colt or filly) · es potranca (colt or filly) · pdt Hersch (adult male deer) · ccc cheshana (adult male deer) · de Hirschbock (adult male deer) · no hjort (adult male deer) · sk jeleň (adult male deer) · sh јѐлен (adult male deer) · pl rogacz (adult male deer) · de Zaunkönig (Eurasian wren) · no oppkjøper (one who applies for shares with a view to sell immediately at a premium) · fi pörssikeinottelija (one who applies for shares with a view to sell immediately at a premium) · fi hirvas (adult male deer) · gl cervo (adult male deer) · vo jistäg (adult male deer) · cs jelen (adult male deer) · nv bįįhkąʼ (adult male deer) · sv hjorthane (adult male deer) · hy եղջերու (adult male deer) · de Rothirsch (adult male deer) · be алень (adult male deer) · pt potranca (colt or filly) · it cervo (adult male deer) · es ciervo (adult male deer) · vo jevodül (colt or filly) · sv hjort (adult male deer) · sh jèlen (adult male deer) · it bue (castrated bull) · he אַיָּל (adult male deer) · de Hirsch (adult male deer) · pt potra (colt or filly) · io cervo (adult male deer) · de Konzertzeichner (one who applies for shares with a view to sell immediately at a premium) · cy hydd (adult male deer) · fi härkä (castrated bull) · ru оле́нь (adult male deer) · gd damh (adult male deer) · ar أَيَّل (adult male deer) · ja 牡鹿 (adult male deer) · bg благороден елен (adult male deer) · vo hijevodül (colt or filly) · eo vircervo (adult male deer) · txb karse (adult male deer) · pl jeleń (adult male deer) · de Fohlen (colt or filly) · cmn 雄鹿 (adult male deer) · tl pamurulan (adult male deer) · is hjörtur (adult male deer) · ga dreoilín (Eurasian wren)
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.
Meanings
(UK, intransitive) To act as a "stag", an irregular dealer in stocks.
es rastrear (watch, keep track of) · fi vahtia (watch, keep track of) · fi keinotella (act as an irregular dealer in stocks) · bg спекулирам (act as an irregular dealer in stocks)