Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STA-TIST'ICS, n.

A collection of facts respecting the state of society, the condition of the people in a nation or country, their health, longevity, domestic economy, arts, property, and political strength, the state of the country, &c. Sinclair. – Tooke.

STA'TIVE, a.

Pertaining to a fixed camp.

STAT-PRO-RATIONE-VOLUNTAS, n. [Stat pro ratione voluntas; L.]

The will stands for reason.

STAT'U-A-RY, n. [It. statuaria; Sp. estatuaria; from L. statuarius, from statua, a statue; statuo, to set.]

1. The art of carving images, as representatives of real persons or things; a branch of sculpture. – Temple. [In this sense the word has no plural.]
2. [It. statuario; Sp. estatuario.] One that professes or practices the art of carving images or making statues. On other occasions the statuaries took their subjects from the poets. – Addison.

STAT'UE, n. [L. statua; statuo, to set; that which is set or fixed.]

An image; a solid substance formed by carving into the likeness of a whole living being; as, a statue of Hercules or of a lion.

STAT'UE, v.t.

To place, as a statue; to form a statue of. – Shak.

STA-TU'MIN-ATE, v.t. [L. statumino.]

To prop or support. [Not in use.] B. Jonson.

STATU-QUO, adv. [Statu quo; L.]

In the former state; as things were before.

STAT'URE, n. [L. and It. statura; Sp. estatura; Fr. stature; from L. statuo, to set.]

The natural highth of an animal body. It is more generally used of the human body. Foreign men of mighty stature came. – Dryden.

STAT'UR-ED, a.

Arrived at full stature. [Little used.] – Hall.

STAT'U-TA-BLE, a. [from statute.]

1. Made or introduced by statute; proceeding from an act of the legislature; as, a statutable provision or remedy.
2. Made or being in conformity to statute; as, statutable measures. – Addison.

STAT'U-TA-BLY, adv.

In a manner agreeable to statute.

STAT'UTE, n. [Fr. statut; It. statuto; Sp. estatuto; L. statutum; from statuo, to set.]

1. An act of the legislature of a state, that extends its binding force to all the citizens or subjects of that state, as distinguished from an act which extends only to an individual or company; an act of the legislature commanding or prohibiting something; a positive law. Statutes are distinguished from common law. The latter owes its binding force to the principles of justice, to long use, and the consent of a nation. The former owe their binding force to a positive command or declaration of the supreme power. Statute is commonly applied to the acts of a legislative body consisting of representatives. In monarchies, the laws of the sovereign are called edicts, decrees, ordinances, rescripts, &c.
2. A special act of the supreme power, of a private nature, or intended to operate only on an individual or company.
3. The act of a corporation or of its founder, intended as a permanent rule or law; as, the statutes of a university.

STAT'UTE-MER-CHANT, n.

In English law, a bond of record pursuant to the Stat. 13 Edw. I. acknowledged before one of the clerks of the statutes-merchant and the mayor or chief warden of London, or before certain persons appointed for the purpose; on which, if not paid at the day, an execution may be awarded against the body, lands, and goods of the obligor. – Blackstone.

STAT'UTE-STA-PLE, n.

A bond of record acknowledged before the mayor of the staple, by virtue of which the creditor may forthwith have execution against the body, lands, and goods of the debtor, on non-payment. – Blackstone.

STAT'U-TO-RY, a.

Enacted by statute; depending on statute for its authority; as, a statutory provision or remedy.

STAU'RO-LITE, or STAU'RO-TIDE, n. [Gr. σταυρος, a cross, and λιθος, stone.]

The granatit of Werner or grenatite of Jameson; a mineral crystalized in prisms, either single or intersecting each other at right angles. Its color is white or gray, reddish or brown. It is often opake, sometimes translucent. Its form and infusibility distinguish it from the garnet. It is called by the French, harmotome. – Dict. Cleaveland.

STAU'RO-TY-POUS, a. [Gr. σταυρος, a cross, and τυπος, form.]

In mineralogy, having its macles or spots in the form of a cross. – Mohs.

STAVE, n. [from staff; Fr. douve, douvain. It has the first sound of a, as in save.]

1. A thin, narrow piece of timber, of which casks are made. Staves make a considerable article of export from New England to the West Indies.
2. A staff; a metrical portion; a part of a psalm appointed to be sung in churches.
3. In music, the five horizontal and parallel lines on which the notes of tunes are written or printed; the staff, as it is now more generally written. To stave and tail, to part dogs by interposing a staff and by pulling the tail.

STAVE, v.i.

To fight with staves. [Not in use.] – Hudibras.

STAVE, v.t. [pret. stove or staved; pp. id.]

1. To break a hole in; to break; to burst; primarily, to thrust through with a staff; as, to stave a cask. – Mar. Dict.
2. To push, as with a staff; with off. The condition of a servant staves him off to a distance. – South.
3. To delay; as, to stave off the execution of a project.
4. To pour out; to suffer to be lost by breaking the cask. All the wine in the city has been staved. – Sandys.
5. To furnish with staves or rundles. [Not in use.] – Knolles.

STAW, v.i.

To be fixed or set. [Not in use or local.]

STAY, n.

1. Continuance in a place; abode for a time indefinite; as, you make a short stay in this city. Embrace the hero, and his stay implore. – Waller.
2. Stand; stop; cessation of motion or progression. Affairs of state seem'd rather to stand at a stay. – Hayward. [But in this sense, we now use stand; to be at a stand.]
3. Stop; obstruction; hinderance from progress. Griev'd with each step, tormented with each stay. – Fairfax.
4. Restraint of passion; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety. With prudent stay, he long defered / The rough contention. [Obs.] – Philips.
5. A fixed state. Alas, what stay is there in human state! Dryden.
6. Prop; support. Trees serve as so many stays for their vines. – Addison. My only strength and stay! – Milton. The Lord is my stay. – Ps. xviii. The stay and the staff, the means of supporting and preserving life. – Is. iii.
7. Steadiness of conduct. – Todd.
8. In the rigging of a ship, a large strong rope employed to support the mast, by being extended from its upper end to the stem of the ship. The fore-stay reaches from the foremast head toward the bowsprit end; the main-stay extends to the ship's stem; the mizzen-stay is stretched to a collar on the main-mast, above the quarter deck, &c. – Mar. Dict. Stays, in seamanship, implies the operation of going about or changing the course of a ship, with a shifting of the sails. To be in stays, is to lie with the head to the wind, and the sails so arranged as to check her progress. To miss stays, to fail in the attempt to go about. – Mar. Dict.

STAY, v.i. [pret. staid, for stayed. Ir. stadam; Sp. estay, a stay of a ship; estada, stay, a remaining; estiar, to stop; Port. estada, abode; estaes, stays of a ship; estear, to stay, to prop; W. ystad, state; ystadu, to stay or remain; Fr. etai, etayer; D. stut, stutten. This word seems to be connected with state, and if so, is a derivative from the root of L. sto, to stand. But from the orthography of this word in the Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese, and of steti, the preterit of sto, in Latin, I am led to believe the elementary word was stad or stat. The sense is to set, stop, or hold. It is to be observed further, that stay may be easily deduced from the G. and D. stag, a stay; stag-segel, stay-sail; W. tagu, to stop.]

1. To remain; to continue in a place; to abide for any indefinite time. Do you stay here, while I go to the next house. Stay here a week. We staid at the Hotel Montmorenci in Paris. – N. W. Stay, I command you; stay and hear me first. – Dryden.
2. To continue in a state. The flames augment, and stay / At their full highth, then languish to decay. – Dryden.
3. To wait; to attend; to forbear to act. I stay for Ternus. – Dryden. Would ye stay for them from having husbands? – Ruth i.
4. To stop; to stand still. She would command the hasty sun to stay. – Spenser.
5. To dwell. I must stay a little on one action. – Dryden.
6. To rest; to rely; to confide in; to trust. Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression, and stay thereon. – Is. xxx.

STAY, v.t. [pret. and pp. staid, for stayed.]

1. To stop; to hold from proceeding; to withhold; to restrain. All that may stay the mind from thinking that true which they heartily wish were false. – Hooker. To stay these sudden gusts of passion. – Rowe.
2. To delay; to obstruct; to hinder from proceeding. Your ships are staid at Venice. – Shak. I was willing to stay my reader on an argument that appeared to me to be new. – Locke.
3. To keep from departure; as, you might have staid me here. – Dryden.
4. To stop from motion or falling; to prop; to hold up; to support. Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands. – Exod. xvii. Sallows and reeds for vineyards useful found / To stay thy vines. – Dryden.
5. To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; as, to take a luncheon to stay the stomach.