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Webster 1913 Edition

Stark

Stark

(stärk)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Starker
(-ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Starkest
.]
[OE.
stark
stiff, strong, AS.
stearc
; akin to OS.
starc
strong, D.
sterk
, OHG.
starc
,
starah
, G. & Sw.
stark
, Dan.
staerk
, Icel.
sterkr
, Goth. ga
staúrknan
to become dried up, Lith.
strëgti
to stiffen, to freeze. Cf.
Starch
,
Adj.
&
Noun.
]
1.
Stiff; rigid.
Chaucer.
Whose senses all were straight benumbed and
stark
.
Spenser.
His heart gan wax as
stark
as marble stone.
Spenser.
Many a nobleman lies
stark
and stiff
Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies.
Shakespeare
The north is not so
stark
and cold.
B. Jonson.
2.
Complete; absolute; full; perfect; entire.
[Obs.]
Consider the
stark
security
The common wealth is in now.
B. Jonson.
3.
Strong; vigorous; powerful.
A
stark
, moss-trooping Scot.
Sir W. Scott.
Stark
beer, boy, stout and strong beer.
Beau. & Fl.
4.
Severe; violent; fierce.
[Obs.]
“In starke stours” [i. e., in fierce combats].
Chaucer.
5.
Mere; sheer; gross; entire; downright.
He pronounces the citation
stark
nonsense.
Collier.
Rhetoric is very good or
stark
naught; there’s no medium in rhetoric.
Selden.

Stark

(stärk)
,
adv.
Wholly; entirely; absolutely; quite;
as,
stark
mad
.
Shak.
Held him strangled in his arms till he was
stark
dead.
Fuller.
Stark naked
,
wholly naked; quite bare.
Strip your sword
stark naked
.
Shakespeare
☞ According to Professor Skeat, “stark-naked” is derived from steort-naked, or start-naked, literally tail-naked, and hence wholly naked. If this etymology be true the preferable form is stark-naked.

Stark

,
Verb.
T.
To stiffen.
[R.]
If horror have not
starked
your limbs.
H. Taylor.

Webster 1828 Edition

Stark

STARK

,
Adj.
[G., stark, stiff, strong; formed on the root of the G., stiff, rigid. See Starch and Steer.]
1.
Stiff; strong; rugged.
Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff, under the hoofs of vaunting enemies.
The north is not so stark and cold.
2.
Deep; full; profound; absolute.
He pronounces the citation stark nonsense.

STARK

,
adv.
Wholly; entirely; absolutely; as stark mad; stark blind; stark naked. These are the principal applications of this word now in use. The word is in popular use, but not an elegant word in any of its applications.

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