- Stark
- Stark Stark (st[aum]rk), a. [Compar. {Starker} (-[~e]r);
superl. {Starkest}.] [OE. stark stiff, strong, AS. stearc;
akin to OS. starc strong, D. sterk, OHG. starc, starah, G. &
Sw. stark, Dan. st[ae]rk, Icel. sterkr, Goth. gasta['u]rknan
to become dried up, Lith. str["e]gti to stiffen, to freeze.
Cf. {Starch}, a. & n.]
1. Stiff; rigid. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
Whose senses all were straight benumbed and stark. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
His heart gan wax as stark as marble stone. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
The north is not so stark and cold. --B. Jonson. [1913 Webster]
2. Complete; absolute; full; perfect; entire. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
Consider the stark security The common wealth is in now. --B. Jonson. [1913 Webster]
3. Strong; vigorous; powerful. [1913 Webster]
A stark, moss-trooping Scot. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
Stark beer, boy, stout and strong beer. --Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster]
4. Severe; violent; fierce. [Obs.] ``In starke stours'' [i. e., in fierce combats]. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
5. Mere; sheer; gross; entire; downright. [1913 Webster]
He pronounces the citation stark nonsense. --Collier. [1913 Webster]
Rhetoric is very good or stark naught; there's no medium in rhetoric. --Selden. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
