style
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: stīl
ipa: /staɪl/
homophone: stile
homophone: Styal
rhymes: -aɪl
Forms: form: styles
form: styling
form: styled
form: styled
form: stile
form: stile
Etymology: 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”) (compare semantic development to по́черк (póčerk, “handwriting, style”)), 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.
Senses: glosses: To design, fashion, make, or arrange in a certain way or form (style).
examples: text: The pope is styled His or Your Holiness.
text: […] 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.
ref: 1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Elizabeth Qveene of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. the Sixtie One Monarch of the English Crowne, […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 37, page 837, column 1:
text: One morning, about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty, Reldresal, principal secretary (as they style him) for private affairs, came to my house attended only by one servant.
ref: 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput):
text: 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; [...]
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, “Jones Arrives at Gloucester, and Goes to the Bell; the Character of that House, and of a Petty-fogger, which He there Meets with”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VIII, page 200:
text: 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."
ref: 1776, “Of the Martyrs at Smyrna”, in [David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes], editor, Account of the Martyrs at Smyrna and Lyons, in the Second Century. With Explanatory Notes, Edinburgh: Printed by A. Murray and J. Cochran, →OCLC, pages 12–13:
text: 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.'
ref: 1782 December, “Elements of the Theory and Practice of Physic and Surgery. By John Aitken, M.D. 2 vols. 8vo. 14s. in Boards. Cadell. [book review]”, in The Critical Review: Or, Annals of Literature (Series the Fifth), volume LIV, London: Printed for A. Hamilton, […], →OCLC, page 438:
text: 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.
ref: 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter X, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume I, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 106:
text: 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].
ref: 1821 April 14, “Annals of the Coinage of Britain and Its Dependencies, from the Earliest Period of Authentic History to the End of the Fiftieth Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George III. By the Rev. Rogers Ruding, […] The Second Edition, Corrected, Enlarged, and Continued to the Close of the Year 1818. 5 vols. 8vo. With a 4to. vol. of Plates. London, 1819. [book review]”, in The Literary Chronicle and Weekly Review; […], volume III, number 100, London: Printed by Davidson, […], published by [John] Limbird, […], sold also by Souter [et al.], →OCLC, page 246, column 3:
synonyms: word: designate
word: dub
word: name
word: bename
word: call
word: clepe
word: denominate
word: designate
word: dub
word: entitle
word: name
word: nominate
word: style
word: term
glosses: To call or give a name or title to.
glosses: To create for, or give to, someone a style, fashion, or image, particularly one which is regarded as attractive, tasteful, or trendy.
glosses: To act in a way which seeks to show that one possesses style.
Derived terms: streamstyle
style it out
styler
stylist