Etimology
The noun is derived from Middle English stile, stel, stele, stiel, stiele, stil, still, stille, styele, style, styill, styll, styyl (“writing tool, stylus; piece of written work; characteristic mode of expression, particularly one regarded as high quality; demeanour, manner, way of life; person's designation or title; stem of a plant; period of time”), from Old French style, estile, stil, stile (modern French style), or from Medieval Latin stylus, both from Latin stilus (“pointed instrument, pale, spike, stake; writing tool, stylus; act of setting down in writing, composition; characteristic mode of expression, style; stem of a plant”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp; to pierce, prick, puncture, stab; to goad”). Doublet of stylus. The English word is cognate with Catalan estil (“engraving tool, stylus; gnomon; manner of doing something, style; fashionable skill, grace”), German Stiel (“handle; stalk”), Italian stilo (“needle, stylus; fountain pen; beam; gnomon; part of pistil, style”), Occitan estil, Portuguese estilo (“writing tool, stylus; manner of doing something, style”), Spanish estilo (“writing tool, stylus; manner of doing something, style; fashionable skill, grace; part of pistil, style”).The verb is derived from the noun.
noun
style (countable and uncountable, plural styles)
Senses relating to a thin, pointed object.
(by extension from sense 1.1) A particular manner of expression in writing or speech, especially one regarded as good.
A particular manner of creating, doing, or presenting something, especially a work of architecture or art.
Examples
Thus while his Thoughts the lingring Day beguile, / To gentle Arcite let us turn our Style; [...]
From Job xix. 24. it appears to have been usual in his day, to write or engrave upon Plates of Lead, which might easily be done with a Pen, or Graver, or Style of Iron, or other hard metal.
Laſt of all fit a Triangular Iron, whoſe angular point being laid to the Center of the Dyal Plane, one ſide muſt agree with the Subſtilar Line, and its other ſide with the Stilar Line; ſo is the Stile made. And this Stile you muſt erect perpendicularly over the Subſtilar Line on the Dyal Plane, and there fix it. Then is your Dyal finiſhed.
Synonym: stylet
The calyx of Theophraſta is a ſmall, permanent perianthium, divided into five obtuſe ſegments, making obtuſe angles alſo with one another: [...] the ſtyle is ſubulated, and ſhorter than the corolla: the ſtigma is acute.
Synonym: stylet
Synonym: stylet
the anal styles of insects
May I not vvrite in such a ſtile as this? / In ſuch a method too, and yet not miſs / Mine end, thy good? vvhy may it not be done?
Read Lord Bolingbroke's [book] with great attention, as well as to the ſtyle as to the matter. I wiſh you could form yourſelf ſuch a ſtyle in every language. Style is the dreſs of thoughts, and a well-dreſſed thought, like a well-dreſſed man, appears to great advantage.
The public will naturally expect, that in chuſing a Patron for the Life of Cicero, I should addreſs myſelf to ſome perſon of illuſtrious rank, diſtinguished by his parts and eloquence, and bearing a principal share in the great affairs of the Nation; who, according to the uſual ſtyle of Dedications, might be the proper ſubject of a compariſon with the Hero of my piece.
After all, it is style alone by which posterity will judge of a great work, for an author can have nothing truly his own but his style; facts, scientific discoveries, and every kind of information, may be seized by all; but an author's diction cannot be taken from him.
Methods for more "intelligent" spellchecking as well as for automatic checking of grammar and style are on the way, but they will require the support of electronic dictionaries.
Monarchs are often addressed with the style of Majesty.
Every Printing-houſe is by the Cuſtom of Time out of mind, called a Chappel; and all the Workmen that belong to it are Members of the Chappel: and the Oldeſt Freeman is the Father of the Chappel. I ſuppoſe the ſtile was originally conferred upon it by the courteſie of ſome great Churchman, or men, who for the Books of Divinity that proceeded from a Printing-houſe, gave it the Reverend Title of Chappel.
One ſtyle to a gracious benefactor, another to a proud, inſulting foe.
During the whole of the reign of George I., the money was of the same species and value as that of Queen Anne, but to his style upon the reverse, were added his German titles, with Fidei Defensor [Defender of the Faith], which then, for the first time, appeared upon the coins, although it had been constantly used in the style of our monarchs from Henry VIII., on whom it was conferred by Pope Leo X., in the year 1521.
[T]here are two distinct styles in history painting; the grand, and the splendid or ornamental. The great style stands alone, and does not require, perhaps does not so well admit, any addition from inferior beauties. The ornamental style also possesses its own peculiar merit. However, though the union of the two may make a sort of composite style, yet that style is likely to be more imperfect than either of those which goes to its composition.
To our English tastes it is unnecessary to advocate the style of [Diego] Velazquez. [...] Sir Joshua [Reynolds], [George] Romney, and [Henry] Raeburn, whether from imitation or instinct, seem powerfully imbued with his style, and some of our own time, even to our landscape painters, seem to possess the same affinity.
This style was sometimes called Palladian from the fact of [Andrea] Palladio having fully developed and absorbed into his own system the styles of his great predecessors of the [Florentine] school, [...]
His style is slow-build rave-up soul; the music, not the lyrics, relates the message.
As a dancer, he has a lot of style.
Backstabbing people is not my style.
Running would feel better than hiding and waiting. It was not her style to hole up in the shadows.
applying styles to text in a wordprocessor Cascading Style Sheets
In today's assignment, you need to: [...] Right justify your heading in 12 point Helvetica font and plain text style.
The concept of creating styles has been around since long before the Web. Desktop publishing programs, such as Adobe InDesign, and even word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word, have long used styles to manage the formatting and editing of text on printed pages.
the house style of the journal
If you have to settle for an expert typist who has not completed recent dissertations for your school, buy two copies of the style manual, one for you and one for the typist.
There are many excellent style manuals, and every good writer should have one or more of these at hand, along with the appropriate formatting instructions for the particular standard beng followed. This book is a how-to survival manual for students, researchers, and family members who need to learn and use APA [American Psychological Association] style and who would like to use some of the tools provided by Microsoft Word.
Related words
related terms
stylus
verb
style (third-person singular simple present styles, present participle styling, simple past and past participle styled)
(transitive) To design, fashion, make, or arrange in a certain way or form (style)
(transitive, formal) To call or give a name or title to.
(transitive, informal) To create for, or give to, someone a style, fashion, or image, particularly one which is regarded as attractive, tasteful, or trendy.
(intransitive, US, informal) To act in a way which seeks to show that one possesses style.
Examples
Synonyms: designate, dub, name; see also Thesaurus:denominate
[…] Donenald O-Neale, rovvſed out of his lurking holes, in his miſsiue letters vnto the Pope, ſtileth himſelfe King of Vlſter, and in right of inheritance, the vndoubted Heire of all Ireland.
One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty, Reldresal, principal secretary for private affairs, came to my house attended only by one servant.
This Fellow, I ſay, ſtiled himſelf a Lawyer, but was indeed a moſt vile Petty-fogger, without Senſe or Knowledge of any Kind; one of thoſe who may be termed Train-bearers to the Law; [...]
But when the proconſul perſiſted in requiring him to ſwear by the fortune of Cæſar, Polycarp ſaid, "Since thou oſtentatiouſly requireſt me to ſwear by what thou ſtyleſt the fortune of Cæſar, as if thou wert ignorant of what I am, hear me boldly ſpeak. I am a Chriſtian; and if thou wouldſt learn what is the doctrine of Chriſtianity, appoint a day, and hear."
Dr. Aitken's language is generally exact, though there is a quaintneſs, and an attempt at novelty, which is ſometimes diſagreeable. [...] He ſtyles 'recover a pleasing evidence of the operation of the medicines.'
Marianne's preserver, as Margaret, with more elegance than precision, stiled Willoughby, called at the cottage early the next morning to make his personal inquiries.
Edward the Black Prince had the principality of Aquitain and Gascony conferred on him, with the privilege of coining monies. Under the authority of this grant, he struck various coins of gold and silver. On these coins he invariably styles himself, Primogenitus Regis Angliæ, et Princeps Aquitaniæ [First King of England, and Prince of Aquitaine].