Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STO'RY, n. [Sax. stær, ster; It. storia; L. historia; Gr. ιστορια.]

1. A verbal narration or recital of a series of facts or events. We observe in children a strong passion for bearing stories.
2. A written narrative of a series of facts or events. There is probably on record no story more interesting than that of Joseph in Genesis.
3. History; a written narrative or account of past transactions, whether relating to nations or individuals. The four great monarchies make the subject of ancient story. – Temple.
4. Petty tale; relation of a single incident or of trifling incidents. – Addison.
5. A trifling tale; a fiction; a fable; as, the story of a fairy. In popular usage, story is sometimes a softer term for a lie.
6. A loft; a floor; or a set of rooms on the same floor or level. A story comprehends the distance from one floor to another; as, a story of nine or ten feet elevation. Hence each floor terminating the space is called a story; as a house of one story, of two stories, of five stories. The farm houses in New England have usually two stories; the houses in Paris have usually five stories, a few have more; those in London four. But in the United States, the floor next the ground is the first story; in France and England, the first floor or story, is the second from the ground.