I. ˈstint verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English stinten, stenten to cause to cease, cease, from Old English styntan to blunt, dull; akin to Old Norse stytta to shorten; causative from the root of the adjective represented by Old English stunt dull, stupid, Middle High German stunz blunt, short, Old Norse stuttr scant; akin to Old High German stōzan to thrust, push, Old Norse stauta to strike, Gothic stautan to strike, Latin tundere to beat, Sanskrit tudati he pushes, strikes, Old English stocc stock — more at stock
transitive verb
1. archaic : to put an end to : cause to stop or halt : stop ; specifically : to check in growth : stunt
2.
a. : to restrain within certain limits : bound , confine
b. : to limit or restrict with respect to a share or allowance : be sparing or frugal with
they will stint themselves for months to buy a phonograph or bicycle — New Republic
3. Britain
a. : to restrict (the use of a common pasture) to a determined number of cattle
b. : to divide (land) into rights of pasturage
c. : to limit (a person) in right of pasturage
4. : to assign a fixed task to (a person) : allot a stint to
5. : to cause (a mare) to get with foal — usually used with to
stinted to a Thoroughbred
had over a hundred brood mares and began … stinting the cream of them to him — J.L.Hervey
intransitive verb
1. archaic : stop , cease , desist
2. : to be sparing or frugal
the stingy newspaper will stint on its editorial costs — Quill
one more mouth to feed, and we'll have to stint more than we do now — Ellen Glasgow
II. ˈstint noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from stinten, stenten, v.
1. obsolete : cessation , stoppage , delay
2. : restraint , restriction , limitation ; especially : severe or excessive limitations — often used in the phrase without stint
during the war years we have expended our resources … without stint — H.S.Truman
3. Britain
a. : the limited number of animals that may be grazed on a piece of common pasture
b. : the right to graze a limited number of animals on a piece of common pasture
4. : a definite quantity or piece of work or activity assigned by another or set by oneself : period of work or activity
did a stint as a government livestock inspector — New Yorker
started his one-minute stint in the bell-ringing contest — New York Times
: task
children had no hope of play before their stints were satisfactorily performed — Blanche Sprague
Synonyms: see task
III. noun
( plural stints also stint )
Etymology: Middle English stynte, of unknown origin
: any of several small sandpipers: as
a. : red-backed sandpiper
b. : little stint
c. : temminck's stint
d. : long-toed stint
e. : least sandpiper
IV.
variant of stent