Steek v.²

Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 4–6 steke, 5–6 Sc. steik, 6 steek(e, 6, 9 north. steak. Pa. t. 4–6 stak, 4–5 stakk, 5 stake, (Sc. stakke), 4 stoke; 4 stekede, 4–5 Sc. stekit, -yt, 5 stekyd, stekid. Pa. pple. 4–5 steke, 6 steek; 4 stoken, 4–5 stokyn, 6 Sc. stokin, 5 stoke; 4 i-stekid, -yd, stekid, 5 stekede, 7 steaked, 4–6 Sc. stekit; 6 Sc. stokit. [ME. steke (pa. t. stak, pa. pple. steke, stoken); recorded only from 14th c., but prob. repr. OE. *stecan (pa. t. *stæc, *stǽcon, pa. pple. *stecen) = OFris. steka, OS. stekan (LG., Du. steken), OHG. stehhan (MHG., mod.G. stechen); the WGer. root *stek- (: *stak-) is an alteration of OTeut. *stik-: see STICK v.¹

  As the ME. stīke (:—OE. stician: see STICK v.¹) would normally become stēke in certain northern dialects (cf. prēke PRICK v.), it is probable that some of the examples below may strictly belong to STICK v.¹ In ME. the two cognate and partly synonymous vbs. were confused together; the originally strong vb. steke was often conjugated weak, and on the other hand its strong pa. t. and pa. pple. ultimately came to be associated with the originally weak STICK v.¹]

  1.  trans. To pierce, stab; to transfix. Also, to thrust (a spear, etc.) through. Also fig.

c. 1320.  Sir Tristr., 2999. Mine hert hye haþ y steke, Brengwain briȝt and fre, Þat frende.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 13047. Helmes bowed, & þorow were steke.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, X. 416. [He] stekit him vpward vith ane knyff.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 707 (Camb. MS.). Loue hath hese fery darte so brennyngely I-stekid þour myn trewe carful herte. Ibid. (c. 1386), Frankl. T., 748 (Camb. MS.). I hadde wel leuere I-stekyd for to be.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 121. For overmoche sorwe the herte is stoken and spered.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 111/2. Daggare, to steke wythe men, pugio.

1455.  in Paston Lett., I. 336. Hit was seyd … that Harpere and ij. other of the Kynges chamber were confedered to have steked the Deuk York in the Kynges chamber.

c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, I. 197. To cutt his throit, or steik hym sodanlye, He wayndyt nocht.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. 46. Robert Grahames hand, quhilk sa cruellie stak the king.

  absol.  a. 1613.  [see SNICK OR SNEE 1].

  2.  To fix (a thing) by thrusting in its point or the point of an attached pin, etc.; also, to fix (a thing) upon a point.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1372. A broche … Criseyde hym yaf and stak it on his sherte.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VI. 427. Uppon grete plates of gold was i-steked [L. figebatur] on [of] þe foure irene nayles þat Crist was i-nayled with to þe rode.

c. 1440.  Pallad. on Husb., IV. 625. Another seith the rootis shal be bored, A wegge in euery boore ek shal he steke.

14[?].  Sir Beues (O.), 2539. The dragons hede he smote of ryght, And stake it vpon his spere.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, IV. xii. 40. Thairwith, gan hir seruandis behald Hir fallin and stekit on the irn cald.

  b.  To fasten in position. (Without the notion of penetration.)

c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., 2202. Hire couerchif vp-on a pole stekede she.

c. 1440.  Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 430. Take the greynes of pomogarnard and steke therin.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 128. Fyue pepynce of encens ben steked in þe paschall lyke to þe crosse.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, VI. x. 21. At the entre, in hy The goldin branche he steikis wp fair and weill.

1843.  T. Wilson, Pitman’s Pay, etc. 109.

  c.  fig.

13[?].  Guy Warw. (1891), 418. So michel sorwe is on me steke, Þat min hert it wil to-breke.

a. 1400.  Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xlix. 134. An arwe in an houndes buttoke And counseil in a foles herte istoke A-cordeþ wel.

c. 1475.  Partenay, 3538. At hys hert gret noysaunce gan he steke.

  3.  To set (oneself) in position.

c. 1400.  Sc. Trojan War, II. 210. Ande rytht besyd the hye altere … Stakke þe seluen in þe walle.

1891.  C. Rigby, From Mids. to Martinmas, iii. 24. Ye needn’t be steákin’ yoursell down on a seat; thear’ yon Mr. Hazelden int’ house, been waitin’ an hour on ye.

  4.  To set or garnish with things attached.

c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., 161. A garlond … Stekid al with lylye flourys newe.

c. 1450.  Bk. Curtasye, 509, in Babees Bk. Tho chambur dore stekes þo vssher thenne, With preket and tortes þat conne brenne.

  5.  To fill full of something.

c. 1440.  Pallad. on Husb., VI. 32. Se whether drie or weet, or playn or rowe Hit be, or ful of bosh, or stones steke.

c. 1475.  Partenay, 3955. So with fumy smoke Was the caue Anon full As myght be stoke.

  6.  intr. To pierce and remain fixed (in something); to be fixed by or as by piercing.

c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 5602. Þe nayles þat in his hend and fete stak.

13[?].  Bonaventura’s Medit., 910. Þe nayles stokyn so fast yn þe tre.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex., 683. Quat sterne is it at ȝe stody on quare stekis it in heuyn?

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xiii. 58. Þe whilk brand efterwardes hitt on þe erthe and stakk still þerin and growed.

c. 1450.  Lovelich, Merlin, 7241. This swerd to me is good tokenyng. For this same stak Jn the ston.

1533.  Bellenden, Livy, II. v. (S.T.S.), I. 146. Pir dartis fast stekand in his targe.

  7.  To remain fixed where placed, to adhere.

a. 1366[?].  Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 458. She nadde on but a streit old sak, And many a clout on it ther stak.

13[?].  Propr. Sanct. (Vernon MS.), in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr., LXXXI. 89/178. What bond in eorþe þou breke, In heuene beo hit no lengore steke. Ibid., 112/90. As heore schip wolde to-breke, And neuer a pece wiþ oþur steke.

c. 1412.  Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 2573. And as he heng & stak Vppon þe croys, þus to þe kyng he spak.

  8.  Of thoughts, memories, etc.: To remain fixed and immovable in one’s mind, heart, etc.

c. 1407.  Lydg., Reson & Sens., 2088. Declaringe myn oppinion … As hyt stake ryght in my thought.

c. 1412.  Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 2048. The tendir loue … Vnto his herte stak and satte so nere, That … his counseill yave he clere Vnto his lord.

1412–20.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, IV. 2627. He gan compasse … To be venged of his woundis smerte Vp-on Troylus, þat stak ay in his mynde.

1469.  Marg. Paston, in P. Lett., II. 364. He woost welle that her demenyng had stekyd soor at our harts.

c. 1485.  Digby Myst., III. 1256. Thys Iesu … was put to dethe…, Wheche mater stekytt In my thowth.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. VIII. 127. Quhilk [answer] to him was the mair acceptable, that of a sinceir mynd it proceidet, and quhilk afor stak fast in his awne mynd.

  9.  To be hindered from proceeding.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 1453. So ar þo Nykeres faste aboute To brynge schipmen þer hit ys doute, To som swelw to turne or steke.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 411 (Camb. MS.). For in northumbyrlond the wawis hire caste And in þe se hire schip steked so faste.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, II. xii. 27. Speik mycht I nocht, the voce in my hals sa stak.

1533.  Bellenden, Livy, II. ii. (S.T.S.), I. 136. This multitude of quhete discending throw tiber abaid and stak stil in þe schald wattir þareof.

1535.  Joye, Apol. Tindale (Arb.), 20. Thei … so corrupted the boke that the simple reder might ofte tymes be taryed and steek.

1583.  Leg. Bp. St. Androis, 162, in Satir. Poems Reform., 358. His schip come never on the schalde, But stak still on the ancker halde.

1603.  J. Davies (Heref.), Microcosmos (Grosart), 13/2. So, thoughts in them, so one another woo To be out first, and so the same doe seeke, That in the Portall of the minde they steeke.

  10.  To project, stick out.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 3758. Stokyn ene out stepe with a streught loke.

  11.  Of a person: To cling tenaciously to.

1535.  Joye, Apol. Tindale (Arb.), 39. Here thou seist whother Tindale is brought for so supersticyously steking to onely one significaccion of this worde Resurrectio.

  12.  To demur, hesitate.

1478.  J. Paston, in P. Lett., III. 219. I comend with my brodyr … of syche maters as ye wold have amendyd in the bylle that he sent on to yow, and he stake not gretly at it.

1573.  G. Harvey, Letter Bk. (Camden), 2. As thei them selues have sinc not steekid to tel me. Ibid. (1579), 60. I will not steeke to bestowe so mutch in exhibition uppon the University.