Part 743

Star"board` (?), n. [OE. sterbord, AS. steórbord, i.e., steer board. See Steer, v. t., Board of a vessel, and cf. Larboard.] (Naut.) That side of a vessel which is on the right hand of a person who stands on board facing the bow; - - opposed to larboard, or port.

Star"board`, a. (Naut.) Pertaining to the right-hand side of a ship; being or lying on the right side; as, the starboard quarter; starboard tack.

Star"board`, v. t. (Naut.) To put to the right, or starboard, side of a vessel; as, to starboard the helm.

Star"-bow`lines (?), n. pl. (Naut.) The men in the starboard watch. [Obs.] R. H. Dana, Jr.

Starch (stärch), a. [AS. stearc stark, strong, rough. See Stark.] Stiff; precise; rigid. [R.] Killingbeck.

Starch, n. [From starch stiff, cf. G. stärke, fr. stark strong.] 1. (Chem.) A widely diffused vegetable substance found especially in seeds, bulbs, and tubers, and extracted (as from potatoes, corn, rice, etc.) as a white, glistening, granular or powdery substance, without taste or smell, and giving a very peculiar creaking sound when rubbed between the fingers. It is used as a food, in the production of commercial grape sugar, for stiffening linen in laundries, in making paste, etc.

Starch is a carbohydrate, being the typical amylose, C6H10O5, and is detected by the fine blue color given to it by free iodine. It is not fermentable as such, but is changed by diastase into dextrin and maltose, and by heating with dilute acids into dextrose. Cf. Sugar, Inulin, and Lichenin.

2. Fig.: A stiff, formal manner; formality. Addison.

Starch hyacinth (Bot.), the grape hyacinth; -- so called because the flowers have the smell of boiled starch. See under Grape.

Starch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Starched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Starching.] To stiffen with starch.

Star"-cham`ber (?), n. [So called (as conjectured by Blackstone) from being held in a room at the Exchequer where the chests containing certain Jewish comtracts and obligations called starrs (from the Heb. shetar, pron. shtar) were kept; or from the stars with which the ceiling is supposed to have been decorated.] (Eng. Hist.) An ancient high court exercising jurisdiction in certain cases, mainly criminal, which sat without the intervention of a jury. It consisted of the king's council, or of the privy council only with the addition of certain judges. It could proceed on mere rumor or examine witnesses; it could apply torture. It was abolished by the Long Parliament in 1641. Encyc. Brit.

Starched (?), a. 1. Stiffened with starch.

2. Stiff; precise; formal. Swift.

Starch"ed*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being starched; stiffness in manners; formality.

Starch"er (?), n. One who starches.

Starch"ly, adv. In a starched or starch manner.

Starch"ness, n. Of or pertaining to starched or starch; stiffness of manner; preciseness.

Starch"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) The cuckoopint, the tubers of which yield a fine quality of starch.

Starch"y (?), a. Consisting of starch; resembling starch; stiff; precise.

Star"craft (?), n. Astrology. [R.] Tennyson.

Star"-crossed` (?), a. Not favored by the stars; ill-fated. [Poetic] Shak.

Such in my star-crossed destiny.

Massinger.

Stare (?), n. [AS. stær. See Starling.] (Zoöl.) The starling. [Obs.]

Stare, v. i. [imp. & p. p. stared (?); p. pr. & vb. n. staring.] [AS. starian; akin to LG. & D. staren, OHG. starn, G. starren, Icel. stara; cf. Icel. stira, Dan. stirre, Sw. stirra, and G. starr stiff, rigid, fixed, Gr. &?; solid (E. stereo-), Skr. sthira firm, strong. √166. Cf. Sterile.] 1. To look with fixed eyes wide open, as through fear, wonder, surprise, impudence, etc.; to fasten an earnest and prolonged gaze on some object.

For ever upon the ground I see thee stare.

Chaucer.

Look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret.