Stare

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛə(r)
• Homophones: stair

From Middle English staren, from Old English starian ("to stare"), from Proto-Germanic *starjaną, *staraijaną ("to be fixed, be rigid"), from Proto-Indo-European *stere-, *strē- ("strong, steady"). Cognate with Dutch staren ("to stare"), German starren ("to stare"), Norwegian stare ("to stare"), German starr ("stiff"). More at start.

Full definition of stare

Verb

1. (intransitive, construed with at) To look fixedly (at something).
2. to be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, colour, or brilliancystaring windows or colours
3. (obsolete) To stand out; to project; to bristle.
• ShakespeareMakest my blood cold, and my hair to stare.
• MortimerTake off all the staring straws and jags in the hive.

Troponyms

• gaze, to stare intently or earnestly
• ogle, to stare covetously or amorously

Derived terms

• stare someone in the face

Noun

1. A persistent gaze.the stares of astonished passers-by

Old English

Noun

1. (obsolete) A starling.

Anagrams

• arste, aster, rates, resat, setar, tares, tarse, Taser, taser, tears, teras