Part 811

Syn. -- Animating; arousing; awakening; stimulating; quickening; exciting.

Stir"rup (?), n. [OE. stirop, AS. stigrp; stgan to mount, ascend + rp a rope; akin to G. stegreif a stirrup. √164. See Sty, v. i., and Rope.] 1. A kind of ring, or bent piece of metal, wood, leather, or the like, horizontal in one part for receiving the foot of a rider, and attached by a strap to the saddle, -- used to assist a person in mounting a horse, and to enable him to sit steadily in riding, as well as to relieve him by supporting a part of the weight of the body.

Our host upon his stirpoes stood anon.

Chaucer.

2. (Carp. & Mach.) Any piece resembling in shape the stirrup of a saddle, and used as a support, clamp, etc. See Bridle iron.

3. (Naut.) A rope secured to a yard, with a thimble in its lower end for supporting a footrope. Totten.

Stirrup bone (Anat.), the stapes. -- Stirrup cup, a parting cup taken after mounting. -- Stirrup iron, an iron stirrup. -- Stirrup leather, or Stirrup strap, the strap which attaches a stirrup to the saddle. See Stirrup, 1.

Stirt (?), obs. p. p. of Start, v. i. Started; leaped.

They privily be stirt into a well.

Chaucer.

Stir"te (?), obs. imp. of Start, v. i. & t. Chaucer.

Stitch (?), n. [OE. stiche, AS. stice a pricking, akin to stician to prick. See Stick, v. i.] 1. A single pass of a needle in sewing; the loop or turn of the thread thus made.

2. A single turn of the thread round a needle in knitting; a link, or loop, of yarn; as, to let down, or drop, a stitch; to take up a stitch.

3. [Cf. OE. sticche, stecche, stucche, a piece, AS. stycce. Cf. Stock.] A space of work taken up, or gone over, in a single pass of the needle; hence, by extension, any space passed over; distance.

You have gone a good stitch.

Bunyan.

In Syria the husbandmen go lightly over with their plow, and take no deep stitch in making their furrows.

Holland.

4. A local sharp pain; an acute pain, like the piercing of a needle; as, a stitch in the side.

He was taken with a cold and with stitches, which was, indeed, a pleurisy.

Bp. Burnet.

5. A contortion, or twist. [Obs.]

If you talk, Or pull your face into a stitch again, I shall be angry.

Marston.

6. Any least part of a fabric or dress; as, to wet every stitch of clothes. [Colloq.]

7. A furrow. Chapman.

Chain stitch, Lock stitch. See in the Vocabulary. -- Pearl, or Purl stitch. See 2nd Purl, 2.

Stitch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stitched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Stitching.] 1. To form stitches in; especially, to sew in such a manner as to show on the surface a continuous line of stitches; as, to stitch a shirt bosom.