n. & v.
n. 1 an adult male deer, esp. one with a set of antlers. 2 Brit. Stock Exch. a person who applies for shares of a new issue with a view to selling at once for a profit. 3 a man who attends a social gathering unaccompanied by a woman.
v.tr. (stagged, stagging) Brit. Stock Exch. deal in (shares) as a stag. stag beetle any beetle of the family Lucanidae, the male of which has large branched mandibles resembling a stag's antlers. stag- (or stag's-) horn 1 the horn of a stag, used to make knife-handles, snuff-boxes, etc. 2 any of various ferns, esp. of the genus Platycerium, having fronds like antlers. stag-night (or -party) an all-male celebration, esp. in honour of a man about to marry.
[ ME f. OF stacga, stagga (unrecorded): cf. docga dog, frogga frog, etc., and ON staggr, staggi male bird ]