stalk

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a plant's main stem, or another slender structure that supports an attached part

   The dry thistle stalk snapped in the wind.

2. 2
   verb

   to follow a person or animal quietly and persistently, especially to hunt, watch, or harass them

   The leopard began to stalk its prey through the tall grass.

3. 3
   verb

   to walk with long, stiff, or angry steps

   She stalked out of the meeting without another word.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Stalk in the sense of pursuing game comes from Old English and is related to steal; it originally meant to walk cautiously or secretly. The plant noun stalk is unrelated and may derive from the dialect word stale, meaning a ladder rung or long handle.

The plant noun comes from Middle English stalke, related to Germanic words for a stem or support. The verb comes from Old English stealcian ("move stealthily"); its hunting sense led to the modern meaning of persistently following a person, while a related idea of stiff movement produced the long-striding sense.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary