— styleless , adj. — stylelessness , n. — stylelike , adj.
/stuyl/ , n. , v. styled, styling .
n.
1. a particular kind, sort, or type, as with reference to form, appearance, or character: the baroque style; The style of the house was too austere for their liking.
2. a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action or manner of acting: They do these things in a grand style.
3. a mode of living, as with respect to expense or display.
4. an elegant, fashionable, or luxurious mode of living: to live in style.
5. a mode of fashion, as in dress, esp. good or approved fashion; elegance; smartness.
6. the mode of expressing thought in writing or speaking by selecting and arranging words, considered with respect to clearness, effectiveness, euphony, or the like, that is characteristic of a group, period, person, personality, etc.: to write in the style of Faulkner; a familiar style; a pompous, pedantic style.
7. those components or features of a literary composition that have to do with the form of expression rather than the content of the thought expressed: His writing is all style and no substance.
8. manner or tone adopted in discourse or conversation: a patronizing style of addressing others.
9. a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode or form of construction or execution in any art or work: Her painting is beginning to show a personal style.
10. a descriptive or distinguishing appellation, esp. a legal, official, or recognized title: a firm trading under the style of Smith, Jones, & Co.
11. stylus (defs. 1, 2).
12. the gnomon of a sundial.
13. a method of reckoning time. Cf. New Style, old style (def. 2).
14. Zool. a small, pointed process or part.
15. Bot. a narrow, usually cylindrical and more or less filiform extension of the pistil, which, when present, bears the stigma at its apex. See diag. under flower .
16. the rules or customs of typography, punctuation, spelling, and related matters used by a newspaper, magazine, publishing house, etc., or in a specific publication.
17. go out of style , to become unfashionable: The jacket he's wearing went out of style ten years ago.
18. in style , fashionable.
v.t.
19. to call by a given title or appellation; denominate; name; call: The pope is styled His or Your Holiness.
20. to design or arrange in accordance with a given or new style: to style an evening dress; to style one's hair.
21. to bring into conformity with a specific style or give a specific style to: Please style this manuscript.
v.i.
22. to do decorative work with a style or stylus.
[ 1250-1300; ME (n.) stylus, sp. var. of stilus tool for writing, hence, written composition, style; see STYLUS ]
Syn. 2. method, approach. 5. chic. See fashion. 9. touch, characteristic, mark. 18. designate, address.