Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STOP, v.t. [D. stoppen; G. stopfen, to stop, to check, to pose, to fill, to cram, to stuff, to quilt, to darn, to mend; Dan. stopper, to stop, to puzzle, to darn, to cram, to stuff; Sw. stoppa, to stop, to stuff; stoppare, to stop with tow; stoppa, tow, L. stupa; Sp. estopa, low; estofa, quilted stuff; estofar, to quilt, to stew meat with wine, spice or vinegar; Port. estofa, stuff; estofar, to quilt, to stuff; Fr. etoupe, tow; etouper, to stop with tow; etouffer, to choke, to stifle, (see Stifle;) L. stupa, tow; stipo, to stuff, to crowd, and stupeo, to be stupefied, whence stupid, stupor, (that is, to stop, or a stop;) Ir. stopam, to stop, to shut. The primary sense is either to cease to move, or to stuff, to press, to thrust in, to cram; probably the latter.]

1. To close; as an aperture, by filling or by obstructing; as, to stop a vent; to stop the ears; to stop wells of water. – 2 Kings iii.
2. To obstruct; to render impassable; as, to stop a way, road or passage.
3. To hinder; to impede; to arrest progress; as, to stop a passenger in the road; to stop the course of a stream.
4. To restrain; to hinder; to suspend; as, to stop the execution of a decree.
5. To repress; to suppress; to restrain; as, to stop the progress of vice.
6. To hinder; to check; as, to stop the approaches of old age or infirmity.
7. To hinder from action or practice. Whose disposition all the world well knows, / Will not be rubb'd nor stopp'd. – Shak.
8. To put an end to any motion or action; to intercept; as, to stop the breath; to stop proceedings.
9. To regulate the sounds of musical strings; as, to stop a string. – Bacon.
10. In seamanship, to make fast.
11. To point; as a written composition. [Not in use.]