Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Stickle
Stic′kle
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Stickled
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Stickling
.] [Probably fr. OE.
stightlen
, sti[GREEK]tlen
, to dispose, arrange, govern, freq. of stihten
, AS. stihtan
: cf. G. stiften
to found, to establish.] 1.
To separate combatants by intervening.
[Obs.]
When he [the angel] sees half of the Christians killed, and the rest in a fair way of being routed, he
stickles
betwixt the remainder of God’s host and the race of fiends. Dryden.
2.
To contend, contest, or altercate, esp. in a pertinacious manner on insufficient grounds.
Fortune, as she 's wont, turned fickle,
And for the foe began to
And for the foe began to
stickle
. Hudibras.
While for paltry punk they roar and
stickle
. Dryden.
The obstinacy with which he
stickles
for the wrong. Hazlitt.
3.
To play fast and loose; to pass from one side to the other; to trim.
Stic′kle
,Verb.
T.
1.
To separate, as combatants; hence, to quiet, to appease, as disputants.
[Obs.]
Which [question] violently they pursue,
Nor
Nor
stickled
would they be. Drayton.
2.
To intervene in; to stop, or put an end to, by intervening; hence, to arbitrate.
[Obs.]
They ran to him, and, pulling him back by force,
stickled
that unnatural fray. Sir P. Sidney.
Stic′kle
,Noun.
[Cf. ]
stick
, Verb.
T.
& I.
A shallow rapid in a river; also, the current below a waterfall.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Patient anglers, standing all the day
Near to some shallow
Near to some shallow
stickle
or deep bay. W. Browne.
Webster 1828 Edition
Stickle
STICKLE
,Verb.
I.
1.
To take part with one side or other.Fortune, as she wont, turnd fickle, and for the foe began to stickle.
2.
To contend; to contest; to altercate. Let the parties stickle each for his favority doctrine.3.
To trim; to play fast and loose; to pass from one side to the other.STICKLE
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
stickle
stickle
English
Verb
stickle (third-person singular simple present stickles, present participle stickling, simple past and past participle stickled)
- (obsolete) To act as referee or arbiter; to mediate.
- (now rare) To argue or struggle for.
- 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:
- ‘She has other people than poor little you to think about, and has gone abroad with them; so you needn't be in the least afraid she'll stickle this time for her rights.’
- 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:
- To raise objections; to argue stubbornly, especially over minor or trivial matters.
- 1837 Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History
- Miserable new Berline! Why could not Royalty go in some old Berline similar to that of other men? Flying for life, one does not stickle about his vehicle.
- 1837 Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History
- (transitive, obsolete) To separate, as combatants; hence, to quiet, to appease, as disputants.
- Drayton
- Which [question] violently they pursue, / Nor stickled would they be.
- Drayton
- (transitive, obsolete) To intervene in; to stop, or put an end to, by intervening.
- Sir Philip Sidney
- They ran to him, and, pulling him back by force, stickled that unnatural fray.
- Sir Philip Sidney
- (intransitive, obsolete) To separate combatants by intervening.
- Dryden
- When he [the angel] sees half of the Christians killed, and the rest in a fair way of being routed, he stickles betwixt the remainder of God's host and the race of fiends.
- Dryden
- (intransitive, obsolete) To contend, contest, or altercate, especially in a pertinacious manner on insufficient grounds.
- Hudibras
- Fortune, as she's wont, turned fickle, / And for the foe began to stickle.
- Dryden
- for paltry punk they roar and stickle
- Hazlitt
- the obstinacy with which he stickles for the wrong
- Hudibras
Related terms
Noun
stickle (plural stickles)
- (Britain, dialect) A shallow rapid in a river.
- (Britain, dialect) The current below a waterfall.
- W. Browne
- Patient anglers, standing all the day / Near to some shallow stickle or deep bay.
- W. Browne