Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Still

Still

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Stiller
;
sup
erl.
Stillest
.]
[OE.
stille
, AS.
stille
; akin to D.
stil
, OS. & OHG.
stilli
, G.
still
, Dan.
stille
, Sw.
stilla
, and to E.
stall
; from the idea of coming to a stand, or halt. Cf.
Still
,
adv.
]
1.
Motionless; at rest; quiet;
as, to stand
still
; to lie or sit
still
.
Still as any stone.”
Chaucer.
2.
Uttering no sound; silent;
as, the audience is
still
; the animals are
still
.
The sea that roared at thy command,
At thy command was
still
.
Addison.
3.
Not disturbed by noise or agitation; quiet; calm;
as, a
still
evening; a
still
atmosphere
.
“When all the woods are still.”
Milton.
4.
Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low.
“A still small voice.”
1 Kings xix. 12.
5.
Constant; continual.
[Obs.]
By
still
practice learn to know thy meaning.
Shakespeare
6.
Not effervescing; not sparkling;
as,
still
wines
.
Still life
.
(Fine Arts)
(a)
Inanimate objects
.
(b)
(Painting)
The class or style of painting which represents inanimate objects, as fruit, flowers, dead game, etc.
Syn. – Quiet; calm; noiseless; serene; motionless; inert; stagnant.

Still

,
Noun.
[Cf. G.
stille
.]
1.
Freedom from noise; calm; silence;
as, the
still
of midnight
.
[Poetic]
2.
A steep hill or ascent.
[Obs.]
W. Browne.

Still

,
adv.
[AS.
stille
quietly. See
Still
,
Adj.
The modern senses come from the idea of stopping and
staying
still, or motionless.]
1.
To this time; until and during the time now present; now no less than before; yet.
It hath been anciently reported, and is
still
received.
Bacon.
2.
In the future as now and before.
Hourly joys be
still
upon you!
Shakespeare
3.
In continuation by successive or repeated acts; always; ever; constantly; uniformly.
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.
Addison.
Chemists would be rich if they could
still
do in great quantities what they have sometimes done in little.
Boyle.
4.
In an increasing or additional degree; even more; – much used with comparatives.
The guilt being great, the fear doth
still
exceed.
Shakespeare
5.
Notwithstanding what has been said or done; in spite of what has occured; nevertheless; – sometimes used as a conjunction. See Synonym of
But
.
As sunshine, broken in the rill,
Though turned astray, is sunshine
still
.
Moore.
6.
After that; after what is stated.
In the primitive church, such as by fear being compelled to sacrifice to strange gods, after repented, and kept
still
the office of preaching the gospel.
Whitgift.
Still and anon
,
at intervals and repeatedly; continually; ever and anon; now and then.
And like the watchful minutes to the hour,
Still and anon
cheered up the heavy time.
Shakespeare

Still

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Stilled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Stilling
.]
[AS.
stillan
, from
stille
still, quiet, firm. See
Still
,
Adj.
]
1.
To stop, as motion or agitation; to cause to become quiet, or comparatively quiet; to check the agitation of;
as, to
still
the raging sea
.
He having a full sway over the water, had power to
still
and compose it, as well as to move and disturb it.
Woodward.
2.
To stop, as noise; to silence.
With his name the mothers
still
their babies.
Shakespeare
3.
To appease; to calm; to quiet, as tumult, agitation, or excitement;
as, to
still
the passions
.
Shak.
Toil that would, at least, have
stilled
an unquiet impulse in me.
Hawthorne.
Syn. – To quiet; calm; allay; lull; pacify; appease; subdue; suppress; silence; stop; check; restrain.

Still

,
Noun.
[Cf. OE.
stillatorie
. See
Still
,
Verb.
, to distill.]
1.
A vessel, boiler, or copper used in the distillation of liquids; specifically, one used for the distillation of alcoholic liquors; a retort. The name is sometimes applied to the whole apparatus used in in vaporization and condensation.
2.
A house where liquors are distilled; a distillery.
Still watcher
,
a device for indicating the progress of distillation by the density of the liquid given over.
Knight.

Still

,
Verb.
T.
[Abbreviated fr.
distill
.]
1.
To cause to fall by drops.
2.
To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill.
Tusser.

Still

,
Verb.
I.
[L.
stillare
. Cf.
Distill
.]
To drop, or flow in drops; to distill.
[Obs.]
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition


Still

STILL

,
Verb.
T.
[G., to put, set, place, Gr., to send, and with style, stool, stall.]
1.
To stop, as motion or agitation; to check or restrain; to make quiet; as, to still the raging sea.
2.
T stop, as noise; to silence.
With his name the mothers still their babes.
3.
To appease; to calm; to quiet; as tumult, agitation or excitement; as, to still the passions.

STILL

,
Adj.
1.
Silent; uttering no sound; applicable to animals or to things. The company or the man is still; the air is still; the sea is still.
2.
Quiet; calm; not disturbed by noise; as a still evening.
3.
Motionless; as, to stand still; to lie or sit still.
4.
Quiet; calm; not agitated; as a still atmosphere.

STILL

,
Noun.
Calm; silence; freedom from noise; as the still of midnight. [A poetic word.]

STILL

,
adv.
1.
To this time; till now.
It hath been anciently reported, and is still received. [Still here denotes this time; set or fixed.]
2.
Nevertheless; notwithstanding.
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.
[Still here signifies set, given, and refers to the whole of the first clause of the sentence. The desire of fame betrays an ambitious man into indecencies that lessen his reputation; that fact being given or set, or notwithstanding, he is afraid, &c.]
3.
It precedes or accompanies words denoting increase of degree.
The moral perfections of the Deity, the more attentively we consider them, the more perfectly still shall we know them.
[This is not correct.]
4.
Always; ever; continually.
Trade begets trade, and people go much where many people have already gone; so men run still to a crowd in the streets, though only to see.
The fewer still you name, you wound the more.
5.
After that; after what is stated.
In the primitive church, such as by fear were compelled to sacrifice to strange gods, after repented, and kept still the office of preaching the gospel.
6.
In continuation.
And, like the watchful minutes to the hour, still and anon cheerd up the heavy time.

STILL

,
Noun.
[L., to drop. See Distill.] A vessel, boiler or copper used in the distillation of liquors; as vapor ascending of the still. The word is used in a more general sense for the vessel and apparatus. A still house is also called a still.

STILL

,
Verb.
T.
[L.] To expel spirit from liquor by heat and condense it in a refrigeratory; to distill. [See Distill.]

STILL

,
Verb.
I.
To drop. [Not in use. See Distill.]

Definition 2024


Still

Still

See also: still and stíll

Luxembourgish

Noun

Still

  1. plural of Stull

still

still

See also: Still and stíll

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

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

  1. Not moving; calm.
    Still waters run deep.
  2. Not effervescing; not sparkling.
    still water; still wines
  3. Uttering no sound; silent.
    • Addison
      The sea that roared at thy command, / At thy command was still.
  4. (not comparable) Having the same stated quality continuously from a past time
    • 2007, January 3, “Gerry Geronimo”, in Unwanted weed starts to sprout from a wayward ponencia:
      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.
  5. Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low.
    • Bible, 1 Kings xix. 12
      a still small voice
  6. (obsolete) Constant; continual.
    • Shakespeare
      By still practice learn to know thy meaning.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Adverb

still (not comparable)

  1. Without motion.
    They stood still until the guard was out of sight.
  2. (aspect) Up to a time, as in the preceding time.
    • Francis Bacon
      It hath been anciently reported, and is still received.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 15, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      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.
    • 1992, Rudolf M. Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, page vii
      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.
    • 2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly):
      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.
    Is it still raining?   It was still raining five minutes ago.
    We've seen most of the sights, but we are still to visit the museum.
  3. (degree) To an even greater degree. Used to modify comparative adjectives or adverbs.
    Tom is tall; Dick is taller; Harry is still taller. ("still" and "taller" can easily swap places here)
    • Shakespeare
      The guilt being great, the fear doth still exceed.
  4. (conjunctive) Nevertheless.
    I’m not hungry, but I’ll still manage to find room for dessert.
    Yeah, but still...
    • Moore
      As sunshine, broken in the rill, / Though turned astray, is sunshine still.
  5. (archaic, poetic) Always; invariably; constantly; continuously.
    • 1609 William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida 5.2.201-202:
      Lechery, lechery, still wars and lechery; nothing else holds fashion.
    • Addison
      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.
    • Boyle
      Chemists would be rich if they could still do in great quantities what they have sometimes done in little.
  6. (extensive) Even, yet.
    • 2013 July-August, Sarah Glaz, Ode to Prime Numbers”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
      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.
    Some dogs howl, more yelp, still more bark.
Synonyms
Translations

Noun

still (plural stills)

  1. A period of calm or silence.
    the still of the night
  2. (photography) A non-moving photograph. (The term is generally used only when it is necessary to distinguish from movies.)
  3. (slang) A resident of the Falkland Islands.
  4. A steep hill or ascent.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of W. Browne to this entry?)
Translations

Etymology 2

Via Middle English, ultimately from Latin stilla

Noun

still (plural stills)

  1. a device for distilling liquids.
  2. (catering) a large water boiler used to make tea and coffee.
  3. (catering) the area in a restaurant used to make tea and coffee, separate from the main kitchen.
  4. A building where liquors are distilled; a distillery.
Translations
See also

Etymology 3

Old English stillan

Verb

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

  1. to calm down, to quiet
    to still the raging sea
    • Woodward
      He having a full sway over the water, had power to still and compose it, as well as to move and disturb it.
    • Shakespeare
      With his name the mothers still their babies.
    • Hawthorne
      toil that would, at least, have stilled an unquiet impulse in me
Translations

Etymology 4

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)

  1. (obsolete) To trickle, drip.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.ii:
      any drop of slombring rest / Did chaunce to still into her wearie spright [...].
  2. To cause to fall by drops.
  3. To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Tusser to this entry?)

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: thought · found · people · #141: still · just · while · again

Anagrams


German

Etymology

From Old High German stilli, from Proto-Germanic *stillijaz (motionless, still, quiet).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʃtɪl/

Adjective

still (comparative stiller, superlative am stillsten)

  1. quiet, silent

Declension

Adverb

still

  1. quietly, silently

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /stɪl/
  • Rhymes: -ɪl

Verb

still

  1. imperative of stille
    Still deg i køen.
    Go stand in the queue.

Spanish

Noun

still m (plural stills)

  1. (photography) still