staff surgeon (stafser"jon)

A senior grade of surgeons in the British navy. staff-tree (staf'trē), n. A vine or tree of the genus Celastrus. The best-known species is the American C. scandens, a twiner with ornamental fruit, otherwise named climbing bittersweet, waxwork, staff - vine, and fever twig (see the last, and cut under bittersweet ). The seeds of the East Indian C. paniculata have long been in repute among Hindu physicians for their stimulating and acrid properties, and are applied externally or internally 2t. A house; building. for the resief of rheumatism, etc. They yield an expre ed oil, also an empyreumatic, known as oleum nigrum. staff-vine (staf vin), n. See staff -tree. stag (stag), n. [E. dial. also steg, Sc. also staig; early mod. E. stagg, stagge; Litul John stode at a window in the mornynge, And lokid forth at a stage . Robin Hood and the Monk (Child's Ballads, V. 8). Ther buth seriauns in the stage That serueth the maidenes of parage. King Horn (E. E.T. S.), p. 58. 3. In arch., the portion between a projection and the retreat next above it in a medieval buttre ; also, one of the horizontal divisions of a window separated by transoms.-4. A floor or platform elevated above the ground or common surface, for the exhibition of a play or spectacle, for public speakers or performers, or for convenience of view, use, or acce : as, a stage for a mountebank; a stage for speakers in public. Give order that these bodies High on a stage be placed to the view. Shak., Hamlet, v. 2. 389. Specifically-(a) A floor elevated for the convenience of performing mechanical work and the like; a scaffold; a staging: as, seamen use floating stages, and stages suspended by the side of a ship, for calking and repairing. (b) In printing, a low platform on which stacks of paper are piled. (c) A shelf or horizontal compartment, as one of the steps of a court-cupboard. The number of stages in the buffet or sideboard indicates the rank of the owner. S. K. Handbook , Corporation and College Plate. (d) The platform on which an object is placed to be viewed through a microscope. (e) A wooden structure on a beach to a ist in landing; a landing-place at a quay or pier. It sometimes rises and falls with the tide, or is lowered or raised to suit the varying height of the water. Getting ye starte of ye ships that came to the plantation, 2. In com. slang: (a) An outside irregular dealer in stocks, not a member of the exchange. (b) they tooke away their stage, & other nece ary provisions A person who applies for the allotment of shares in a joint-stock company, not because he wishes to hold the shares, but because he hopes to sell the allotment at a premium. If he fails in this he forbears to pay the deposit, and the allotment is forfeited.-3. A romping girl; a hoyden. [Prov. Eng.] -4. The color of the stag; a red dirty-brown color. Come, my Cub, doe not scorne mee because I go in Stag , in Buffe; heer 's veluet too; thou seest I am worth thus much in bare veluet. Dekker , Sat i rom as tix, I. 220 (ed. Pearson). Royal stag, a stag that has antlers terminating in twelve or more points. stag (stag), v.; pret. and pp. stagged, ppr. stag ging. [ II. trans. To follow warily, as a deer-stalker does a deer; dog; watch. [Slang.] So you've been stagging this gentleman and me, and listening, have you? H. Kingsley, Geoffry Hamlyn, v. [( Davies .) stagartt, n. An obsolete spelling of staggard1 . stag-beetle (stag'bē"tl), n. A lamellicorn coleopterous insect of the genus Lucanus or restricted family Luca- nidæ (which see), the males of which have branched mandibles resembling the antlers of a stag. L. cervus is the common stag-beetle of Eu- Stag-beetle (Lucanuscer vus ), one half natural size. they had made for fishing at Cap-Anne ye year before. Bradford, Plymouth Plantation, p. 196. (f) A raised platform on which theatrical performances are exhibited; the flooring in a theater on which the actors perform. In modern theaters the stage includes not only the part which can be seen from the auditorium, but IMG:content-1943.png:[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small] IMG:content-1944.jpg:[graphic] A, proscenium; B, C, D, first, second, and third prompt-entrances respectively; B', C', D', first, second, and third opposite-prompt-entrances respectively; E, wings; a a, center; bb, prompt-side; cc, o.-p.-side; dd, prompt-center; ee, o.-p.-center. also the spaces on each side, behind the proscenium arch, which are used for shifting the wings or side-scenes, and are themselves called the wings. The part extending back from the orchestra to the proscenium-arch is called the proscenium. That side of the stage which is on the extreme left of the spectator is called the prompt - side, because in theaters which have no prompt-box the prompter stands there. The corresponding position to the spectator's right is called the opposite - prompt - side (or, briefly, o.-p.-side). Half-way between the center and the prompt side is the prompt - center, the corresponding position to the And all the men and women merely players. Shak., As you Like it, ii. 7. 139. Mirth. Pray you help us to some stools here. Pro. Where, on the stage , ladies? Mirth. Yes, on the stage ; we are persons of quality, I a ure you, and women of fashion, and come to see and to be seen. B. Jonson, Staple of News, Ind. Putten ham , Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 20. Dippage, Curiosity, Lo! where the stage , the poor degraded stage , Holds its warped mirror to a gaping age. 6. A place where anything is publicly exhib- ited; a field for action; the scene of any noted action or career; the spot where any remark- able affair occurs. IMG:content-1945.jpg:[blocks in formation] succe ive steps in a course of development: as, the larval, pupal, and imaginal stages of an insect; several stages of an embryo. A blysful lyf thou says I lede, Thou woldez knaw ther-of the stage . stage-plate (stāj plāt), n. A gla plate with a narrow ledge along one edge, used on the stage of a microscope to hold an object when the microscope is inclined, and sometimes as the bottom plate of a growing-slide. E. H. Knight . Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), i. 410. Bacon , Advancement of Learning, ii. Our education is in a manner wholly in the hands of ecclesiastics, and in all stages from infancy to manhood. Burke , Rev. in France. They were in widely different stages of civilization. Macaulay , Hist. Eng., vi. 10. [Abbr. of stage -coach.] Same as stage- from a reading or closet-play. coach; also [U. S.], an omnibus. IMG:content-1946.png:[graphic] IMG:content-1947.jpg:[blocks in formation] Law of the three stages. See three .-Lyric stage. See lyric . - Mechanical stage. See microscope , 1.- To go on the stage. See go . - To run the stage. See run1 . stage (stāj), v.; pret. and pp. staged , ppr. stag- ing. [ I love the people, But do not like to stage me to their eyes. Frippery. Some poet must a ist us. Goldstone. Poet? You'll take the direct line to have us stag'd. Middle ton, Your Five Gallants, iv. 8. An you stage me, stinkard, your mansions shall sweat for 't. B. Jonson, Poetaster, iii. 1. 2. To place or put on the stage; mount, as a play. The manager who, in staging a play, suggests judicious modifications, is in the position of a critic, nothing more. Fortnightly Rev. , N. S., XXXIX. 819. II. in trans. To travel by stage-coach: some- times with indefinite it . He seasons pleasure with profit; he stages (if I may say so) into politicks, and rides post into busine . Gentleman Instructed , p. 546. ( Davies .) stage-box (stāj boks), n. A proscenium-box. stage-carriage (stāj karāj), n. A stage-coach. In 1866 Gladstone was able to reduce the mileage for all stage - carriages to one farthing. S. Dowell , Taxes in England, III. 56. stage-coach (stāj ́ kōch), n. A coach that runs by stages; a coach that runs regularly every day or on stated days between two places, for stage-craft (stāj kraft), n. matic composition. The fact that their author so willingly leaned upon the plot of a predece or indicates his weak point-the lack of that stage - craft which seems to be still one of the rarest gifts of English men. A. Dobson , Introd. to Steele, p. xliv. 2. Knowledge and skill in putting a play on the stage. stage-direction (stāj di-rek"shon), n . A writ- ten or printed instruction as to action, etc., which accompan stage-door (stāj'dōr), n. ce to the stage and the parts behind it in a theater; the actors' and workmen's entrance stage-effect (stāj'e-fekt"), n. Theatrical ef- fect; effect produced artificially and designedly. stage-fever (stāj fever), n. A strong desire to go on the stage, or to be an actor or actre . [Colloq.] He was intended for the Church, but he caught stage- fever , ran away from school at the age of 17, and joined stage-forceps (stāj'fôr seps), n . A clamp for holding an object on the stage of a compound microscope. E. H. Knight . stage-fright (stāj'frīt), n. Nervousne ex- perienced on facing an audience, especially for the first time. stage-hand (stāj'hand), n. A man employed to move scenery, etc. stage-house (stāj'hous), n. A house, as an inn, at which a coach stops regularly for pa engers or to change horses. stagelyt (stāj'li), a. [ stage + -ly1.] Per- taining taining to the stage; befitting the theater; the atrical. Jer. Taylor (?), Artif. IMG:content-1948.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1949.png:[blocks in formation] stagey, stagey ne . See stagy , stagine , 1. staggard1, staggart (stag'ärd, ärt), n. [For- merly also stagart ; stagart ; stag --ard , -art .] -ard , -art .] A stag in his fourth year, and therefore not quite full grown. staggard2 (stag'ärd), n. Same as staggarth . staggarth (stag arth), n. [Also staggard ; a reduction of * stack - garth , stack + garth1 . Cf. equiv. dial. haggarth , haggard, 'hay-garth'.] An inclosure within which stacks of hay and grain are kept. Cath . Ang ., p. 358. [Prov. Eng.] stagger (stag'er), v. [A var. of stacker , after MD. staggeren , stagger as a drunken man (ap- par. a var. of * stackeren = Icel. stakra , stagger): see stacker1 .] I. in trans. 1. To walk or stand unsteadily; reel; totter. A violent exertion, which made the King stagger back- ward into the hall. Scott , Quentin Durward, x. stagger My sight staggers; the walls shake; he must be-do angels ever come hither? Landor , Imag. Conv., Galileo, Milton, and a Dominican. 2. To hesitate; begin to doubt or waver in purpose; falter; become le confident or determined; waver; vacillate. He staggered not at the promise of God through unRom. iv. 20. belief. It was long since resolved on, Nor must I stagger now in 't. Mas singer , Unnatural Combat, ii. 1. The enterprise of the. newspapers stops at no expense, staggers at no difficulties. Harper's Mag., LXXVII. 687. =Syn. 1. Totter , etc. See reel2 . II. trans. 1. To cause to reel, totter, falter, or be unsteady; shake. I have seen enough to stagger my obedience. Fletcher, Val ent in i an, iii. 1. Strikes and lock-outs occur, which stagger the prosper ity, not of the busine merely, but of the state. N. A. Rev., CXXXIX. 515. 2. To cause to hesitate, waver, or doubt; fill with doubts or misgivings; make le steady, determined, or confident. The question did at first so stagger me. 5889