I. ˈstab, -aa(ə)b noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English stabbe
1. : a wound produced by or as if by a pointed weapon ; specifically : stab wound
2.
a. : a thrust of a pointed weapon
b. : a jerky stroke (as with a bat, mallet, or club)
c. : a billiards shot in which the cue ball is stroked sharply to cause it to remain on the spot occupied by the object ball
d. : a hard jab in boxing
3.
a. : a thrust made for a particular purpose
a fish took a stab at a fly — Richard Bissell
a quick stab into unknown country — L.J.Van Der Post
b. : attempt , go , trial
the present reviewer's sections … devoted to phrase structure and clause structure represent only a stab in this direction — R.A.Hall b. 1911
speaks fluently in French, Italian, Spanish and German and makes a stab at Hungarian — Theatre Arts
making a stab at aplomb — Marcia Davenport
they didn't care to talk to him much even if he did make a stab at conversation — Will James
4.
a. : a sudden sharp sensation of pain : pang
a stab of lumbago
: a sudden strong feeling
a stab of anxiety
a stab of envy
a stab of joy
a stab of resentment
b. : a sharply delimited display of vivid color or light
the stab of the neon sign — Saturday Review
a long stab of lightning — Danforth Ross
little stabs of flame shot from the chimney — O.S.Nock
5.
a. : a culture medium solidified in an upright column in a tube so as to reduce the surface to a minimum — compare slant 2d(1)
b. : stab culture
II. verb
( stabbed ; stabbed ; stabbing ; stabs )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to wound by the thrust of a pointed instrument
stab a man with a dagger
b. : to pierce with or as if with a pointed weapon
cured me by stabbing me in the seat once a fortnight or so with a monstrous hypodermic syringe — G.B.Shaw
stab an apple with a knife
a derrick stabbing the sky — Ralph Gray
as
(1) : to puncture (sheets, sections, or cover boards) to facilitate hand stitching or sewing in bookbinding
(2) : to roughen the surface of (a brick wall) with a point to form a key for plaster
c. : pierce 5
poignant memories stabbed him — Marcia Davenport
children coming home from the factory or the mine stab the conscience — J.H.Plumb
2.
a. : thrust , drive
a fork that had been stabbed into the navel of a large orange — June W. Brown
as you arrange the carding, stab pins through it into the paper — Evelyn A. Mansfield
man stabbed a thumb at a wisp of white ribbon — F.B.Gipson
b. : to strike (as a golf ball) with a jerky stroke
c. : to hit (a boxing opponent) with a hard jab
3. : to point (a bird) suddenly and without hesitation — used of a hunting dog
intransitive verb
: to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon : make a stab : pierce
his finger stabbed at a blank page — Jan Valtin
small forces stab northward looking for a fight — Current History
the thought had stabbed through her like a knife — Ellen Glasgow
misty blue peaks stabbing up out of rich forests — Allan Nevins
III. ˈstab noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably alteration of stob
chiefly Scotland : stake
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: by shortening
Britain : establishment — used of weekly or hourly wages paid by a printing house as distinguished from piecework payments
stab work
working on stab
V. abbreviation
1. stabilize; stabilizer
2. stable