Word definition: still

Etimology


From Middle English stille (“motionless, stationary”), from Old English stille (“still, quiet”), from Proto-West Germanic *stillī, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)telH- (“to be silent; to be still”). Cognate with Scots stil (“still”), Saterland Frisian stil (“motionless, calm, quiet”), West Frisian stil (“quiet, still”), Dutch stil (“quiet, silent, still”), Low German still (“quiet, still”), German still (“still, quiet, tranquil, silent”), Swedish stilla (“quiet, silent, peaceful”), Icelandic stilltur (“set, quiet, calm, still”). Related to stall. (noun: Falkland Islander): Military slang, short for still a Benny, since the military had been instructed not to refer to the islanders by the derogatory term Benny (which see).

adjective


still (comparative stiller or more still, superlative stillest or most still)

Not moving; calm.

Not effervescing; not sparkling.

Uttering no sound; silent.

(not comparable) Having the same stated quality continuously from a past time

Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low.

(obsolete) Constant; continual.

Examples


Sit there and stay still!

Still waters run deep.

still water; still wines

The sea that roared at thy command, / At thy command was still.

To follow the still President’s marching orders, all that Secretary Ronnie Puno has to do is to follow the road map laid out by Justice Azcuna in his “separate” opinion.

[…] a still small voice.

By still practice learn to know thy meaning.

Related words


synonyms

(not moving): fixed, stationary, unmoving, static, inert, stagnant; see also Thesaurus:stationary or Thesaurus:immobile

(not effervescing): flat, uneffervescent; see also Thesaurus:noneffervescent

(uttering no sound): noiseless, soundless; see also Thesaurus:silent

(having the same stated quality):

(comparatively quiet): hushed, tranquil; see also Thesaurus:quiet

(constant, continual): incessant, ongoing, unremitting; see also Thesaurus:continuous

adverb


still (not comparable)

Without motion.

(aspect) Up to a time, as in the preceding time.

(degree) To an even greater degree. Used to modify comparative adjectives or adverbs.

(conjunctive) Nevertheless.

(archaic, poetic) Always; invariably; constantly; continuously.

(extensive) Even, yet.

Alternative spelling of styll

Examples


They stood still until the guard was out of sight.

Is it still raining?   It was still raining five minutes ago.

We’ve seen most of the sights, but we are still visiting the museum.

I’m still not wise enough to answer that.

It hath been anciently reported, and is still received.

Edward Churchill still attended to his work in a hopeless mechanical manner like a sleep-walker who walks safely on a well-known round. But his Roman collar galled him, his cossack stifled him, his biretta was as uncomfortable as a merry-andrew's cap and bells.

Hepaticology, outside the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere, still lies deep in the shadow cast by that ultimate "closet taxonomist," Franz Stephani—a ghost whose shadow falls over us all.

An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.

Tom is tall; Dick is taller; Harry is still taller / Harry is taller still.

The guilt being great, the fear doth still exceed.

I’m not hungry, but I’ll still manage to find room for dessert.

Yeah, but still...

As sunshine, broken in the rill, / Though turned astray, is sunshine still.

Given the thorny intelligence of [J. C.] Chandor’s previous films , it's hard to believe that he thought it was a good idea to play Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" over a sequence of Pope telling the others that he can't do this job without them, or to accompany shots of the men running through the jungle with Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Run Through The Jungle."

Lechery, lechery, still wars and lechery; nothing else holds fashion.

[W]hereas many Chymiſts vvould be vaſtly rich, if they could ſtill do in great Quantities vvhat they have ſometimes done in little ones, many have undone themſelves by obſtinately attempting to make even real Experiments more gainful.

The desire of fame betrays an ambitious man into indecencies that lessen his reputation; he is still afraid lest any of his actions should be thrown away in private.The spelling has been modernized.

The spelling has been modernized.

I vex my heart with fancies dim:⁠He still outstript me in the race;⁠It was but unity of placeThat made me dream I rank’d with him.

Some dogs howl; more yelp; still more bark.

Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes.

'Yeah yeah, I'm good still, Stace,' I said.

HALIL: I can't lie, I didn't expect it from you, man, still!

Related words


synonyms

(without motion): akinetically, motionlessly, stock still, stockishly

(up to a time): yet

(to an even greater degree): yet, even

(nevertheless): nonetheless, though, yet; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless

(always): consistently, invariably, uniformly; See also Thesaurus:uniformly

(even, yet):

noun


still (plural stills)

A period of calm or silence.

(photography) A photograph, as opposed to movie footage.

(slang) A resident of the Falkland Islands.

Examples


the still of the night

Between the roar of the thunder and the blatter of the rain there were intervals of an astounding still, of an ominous suspense […]

As the ground warms, to the first rays of light, / A birdsong shatters the still.

Related words


synonyms

(period of calm): lull, rest, respite; quiet, tranquility

(resident of the Falkland Islands): Benny, Falklander, Kelper

Etimology


Via Middle English [Term?], ultimately from Latin stilla.

noun


still (plural stills)

A device for distilling liquids.

(catering) A large water boiler used to make tea and coffee.

(catering) The area in a restaurant used to make tea and coffee, separate from the main kitchen.

A building where liquors are distilled; a distillery.

Etimology


From Old English stillan.

verb


still (third-person singular simple present stills, present participle stilling, simple past and past participle stilled)

To calm down, to quiet.

Examples


to still the raging sea

They likewise believed that he, having a full Sway and Command over the Water, had Power to still and compose it, as well as to move and disturb it […]

Is this the scourge of France? / Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad / That with his name the mothers still their babes?

[…] withholding myself from toil that would, at least, have stilled an unquiet impulse in me.

Related words


synonyms

becalm, lull, quell; see also Thesaurus:pacify

Etimology


Aphetic form of distil, or from Latin stillare.

verb


still (third-person singular simple present stills, present participle stilling, simple past and past participle stilled)

(obsolete) To trickle, drip.

To cause to fall by drops.

To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill.

Examples


And if that any drop of slombring rest / Did chaunce to still into her wearie spright,

The knowledge of stilling is one pretty feat, The waters be wholesome, the charges not great

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