I. stunt 1 /stʌnt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: Perhaps from stump 'something risky which someone has persuaded you to do' ]
1 . a dangerous action that is done to entertain people, especially in a film:
Not many actors do their own stunts.
a stunt flying show
2 . something that is done to attract people’s attention, especially in advertising or politics:
Todd flew over the city in a hot-air balloon as a publicity stunt.
3 . pull a stunt to do something that is silly or that is slightly dangerous:
Next time you pull a stunt like that don’t expect me to get you out of trouble.
II. stunt 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: stunt 'rude, stunted' (16-19 centuries) , probably from a Scandinavian language ]
to stop something or someone from growing to their full size or developing properly:
Lack of sunlight will stunt the plant’s growth.