I. ˈstōrē, ˈstȯrē, -ri noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English storie, from Old French estorie, estoire, from Latin historia — more at history
1.
a. obsolete : a connected narrative of important events especially of the remote past
b. archaic : a historical record : a work of history
c. archaic : history as a branch of knowledge
2.
a. : an account of some incident or event ; often : a tale written or told especially for the entertainment of children
used to tell stories to his grandchildren at night — Vance Randolph
b. : a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question
the man's story of the robbery was not convincing
c. : a detailed account of the career of a particular individual or of the sequential facts in a given case
write the story of one's life
the story of the ocean
the story of atomic power
the story of public housing
d. : anecdote ; especially : an amusing one
his speech contained several good stories
e. : the events in the history of a person or thing that taken together are of sufficient interest and significance to serve as likely subject matter for an account
there's a story in every one of your fellow passengers — Richard Joseph
f. : background information that clarifies a situation or affair
what's the story on this deal
get the whole story before commenting
but figures give only part of the story — New Republic
3.
a. : a prose or verse narrative of incidents arranged according to their time relationship : a fictional work that recounts objective events or a stream of thought or interactions of these
b. : a fiction that is shorter or has a more unified plot than the usual novel
detective stories
Western stories
specifically : short story
c. : the intrigue or plot of a narrative or dramatic work ; broadly : a narrative thread upon which a composition is based
the story of a ballet
d. : a rewrite or condensation of a literary work in which dramatic values are emphasized and which serves as the basis of the script of a film play
4. : an historical, legendary, or literary subject depicted in sculptural or pictorial art
story pictures popular in the 19th century
— compare history 4a(2)
5.
a. archaic : a groundless rumor
b. : a widely circulated report or rumor
a story going round
6. : fib , lie , falsehood
7.
a. : the composition or telling of stories
a feat long celebrated in song and story
b. : tradition , legend , romance
castle walls and snowy summits old in story — Alfred Tennyson
8.
a. : an account in a news organ or news broadcast
human-interest story
feature story
b. : the subject of a news account : material for news accounts
the biggest stories of the year
9. : an arrangement (as of pictures or tableaux) that in sequence and often with the aid of accompanying text tells a connected narrative
the first series of picture stories the photographer did — Current Biography
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle English storien, from storie, n.
transitive verb
1. archaic : to tell in historical relation : make the subject of a story : narrate or describe in story
2. : to adorn with a story or a scene from history
intransitive verb
: to tell a story ; specifically : to tell a falsehood
storied about his age
III. noun
or sto·rey “
( plural stories or storeys )
Etymology: Middle English storie, from Medieval Latin historia, istoria picture, story of a building, from Latin historia history, story (narrative); probably from pictures adorning the windows of medieval buildings — more at history
1.
a. : a set of rooms on one floor level of a building excluding the attic level and usually the cellar or basement level : the habitable space between two floors or between a floor and the roof of a building
the first story of a house
the attic story
a building ten stories high
— often used in combination
a single- story house
a forty- story building
— see half story ; compare first floor , floor , mezzanine , second story
b. : a horizontal division of a building's exterior not necessarily corresponding exactly with the stories within
2. : one of a series of tiers arranged horizontally one over another
beehives arranged in stories
the three stories of the cave — J.H.Bretz