Meanings
stalk1
plural stalks
- The stem or main axis of a plant.
a stalk of wheat, rye, or oats; the stalks of maize or hemp
1 more example
Three chairs of the steamer type, all maimed, comprised the furniture of this roof-garden, with […] on one of the copings a row of four red clay flower-pots filled with sun-baked dust from which gnarled and rusty stalks thrust themselves up like withered elfin limbs.
1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter I (Anarchy), pages 377–378 - Something resembling the stalk of a plant, such as the stem of a quill.
they appear to be made up of little Bladders , like those in the Plume or Stalk of a Quill
1681, Nehemiah Grew, Musæum Regalis Societatis. Or A Catalogue & Description of the Natural and Artificial Rarities Belonging to the Royal Society and Preserved at Gresham Colledge. […], London: […] W. Rawlins, for the author, →OCLC - architectureAn ornament in the Corinthian capital resembling the stalk of a plant, from which the volutes and helices spring.
- One of the two upright pieces of a ladder.
- biologyA stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids.
- biologyThe narrow basal portion of the abdomen of a hymenopterous insect.
- biologyThe peduncle of the eyes of decapod crustaceans.
- artsAn iron bar with projections inserted in a core to strengthen it; a core arbor.
- sheaf theorymathematicsInformally, a construction which generalizes that of the notion of the ring of germs of functions near a point to the context of arbitrary sheaves. Formally, given a sheaf ℱ on a space X, and a point x in X, the direct limit of the sections of F on the open neighborhoods of x ordered by reverse inclusion. See Stalk (sheaf) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- slangThe penis.
stalk2
present singular third person stalks · participle present stalking · participle past stalked · past stalked
- transitiveTo approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer.
As for shooting a man from behind a wall, it is cruelly like to stalking a deer.
1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC1 more example
But they had already discovered that he could be bullied, and they had it their own way; and presently Selwyn lay prone upon the nursery floor, impersonating a ladrone while pleasant shivers chased themselves over Drina, whom he was stalking.
1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC - transitiveTo (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment.ᵂᵖ
My ex-girlfriend is stalking me.
1 more example
villages stalked by the threat of famine
- intransitiveTo walk slowly and cautiously; to walk in a stealthy, noiseless manner.
O ay, stalk on, stalk on, the fowl sits
1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]1 more example
[Bertran] stalks close behind her, like a witch's fiend, / Pressing to be employed.
1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 53 - intransitiveTo walk behind something, such as a screen, for the purpose of approaching game; to proceed under cover.
One underneath his horse, to get a shoot doth stalk.
1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion1 more example
The king[…]crept under the shoulder of his led horse;[…]"I must stalk," said he.
1625, Francis [Bacon], Apophthegmes New and Old. […], London: […] Hanna Barret, and Richard Whittaker, […], →OCLC - InternettransitiveOf a person's social media activity: to look through thoroughly or obsessively; to keep tabs on, generally avoiding contact.
Coordinate term: lurk
1 more example
Hate when I'm stalking someone's Insta and I like one of their old pics. Makes me wanna burrow underground n' hibernate for a season or two.
2016 April 8, @JVCKJ, Twitter
plural stalks
- A particular episode of trying to follow or contact someone.
- The hunting of a wild animal by stealthy approach.
When the stalk was over (the antelope took alarm and ran off before I was within rifle shot) I came back.
1885, Theodore Roosevelt, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman
stalk3
present singular third person stalks · participle present stalking · participle past stalked · past stalked
- intransitiveTo walk haughtily.
With manly mien he stalked along the ground.
1697, Virgil, “The Tenth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC2 more examples
Then stalking through the deep, / He fords the ocean.
1704, Joseph Addison, Milton's Stile Imitated, in a Translation of a Story out of the Third AeneidI forbear myself from entering the lists in which he has long stalked alone and unchallenged.
1850, Charles Merivale, History of the Romans Under the Empire
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe petiole, pedicel, or peduncle of a plant.
More synonyms by meaning
nounmaterial consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
nouna slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ
nouna hunt for game carried on by following it stealthily or waiting in ambush
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
stalk · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*stel-“to place, stand; be stiff; stud, post, trunk, stake, stem, stalk”
- Proto-Germanic*stalô
- Proto-Germanic*stalukaz
- Proto-West Germanic*staluk
- Old English*stealc
- Middle Englishstalke
- Englishstalk
From Middle English stalke, stelke, stalk, perhaps from Old English *stealc, *stielc, *stealuc, from Proto-West Germanic *staluk, *stalik, from Proto-Germanic *stalukaz, *stalikaz, diminutive of Proto-Germanic *stalô, *staluz (“support, stem, stalk”), from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (“to place, stand; be stiff; stud, post, trunk, stake, stem, stalk”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch staal (“sample”), steel (“stem”), German Stiel (“stalk”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål stilk (“stalk, stem”), Faroese stjølur (“bottom part of a sheaf”), Icelandic stilkur (“stalk, stem”), Norwegian Nynorsk stilk, stylk (“stalk, stem”), styl (“lower part of a straw”), Swedish stjälk (“stalk, stem”), Albanian shtalkë (“crossbeam, board used as a door hinge”), Welsh telm (“frond”), Ancient Greek στειλειή (steileiḗ, “beam”), Old Armenian ստեղն (stełn, “trunk, stalk”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →stalk · verb, noun
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)telg
- Proto-Germanic*stalukōną“to stalk, move stealthily”
- Proto-West Germanic*stalukōn
- Old English*stealcian
- Middle Englishstalken
- Englishstalk
From Middle English stalken, from Old English *stealcian (as in bestealcian (“to move stealthily”), stealcung (“stalking”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stalukōn, from Proto-Germanic *stalukōną (“to stalk, move stealthily”) (compare Dutch stelkeren, stolkeren (“to tip-toe, tread carefully”), Danish stalke (“to high step, stalk”), Norwegian dialectal stalka (“to trudge”)), from *stalkaz, *stelkaz (compare Old English stealc (“steep”), Old Norse stelkr, stjalkr (“knot (bird), red sandpiper”)), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)telg, *(s)tolg- (compare Middle Irish tolg (“strength”), Lithuanian stalgùs (“stiff, defiant, proud”)). Alternate etymology connects Proto-Germanic *stalkōną to a frequentative form of *stelaną (“to steal”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →stalk · verb, noun
- Proto-Germanic*stelkaz
- Old Englishstealc“steep”
- Englishstalk
Attested 1530 in the sense "to walk haughtily", perhaps from Old English stealc (“steep”), from Proto-Germanic *stelkaz, *stalkaz (“high, lofty, steep, stiff”); see above.
More words from Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek καυλός
- καυλός (kaulós)stem or main axis of a plant
Arabic سَاق
- سَاق (sāq)stem or main axis of a plant
Bulgarian стъбло, прокрадвам се
- стъбло (stăblo)stem or main axis of a plant
- прокрадвам се (prokradvam se)to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- преследвам (presledvam)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Catalan tija, aguaitar
- tijastem or main axis of a plant
- aguaitarto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
Chinese Mandarin 莖 /茎, 纏擾 /缠扰
- 莖 /茎 (jīng)stem or main axis of a plant
- 纏擾 /缠扰 (chánrǎo)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Czech stonek, sledovat
- stonekstem or main axis of a plant
- sledovatto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- stopovatto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- pronásledovatto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- šmírovatto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- vykračovat sito walk haughtily
Danish stængel
- stængelstem or main axis of a plant
Dutch steel, stengel
- steelstem or main axis of a plant
- stengelstem or main axis of a plant
- halmstem or main axis of a plant
- stalkento (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Estonian vars
- varsstem or main axis of a plant
Finnish varsi, pystytuki
- varsistem or main axis of a plant
- pystytukione of the two upright pieces of a ladder
- kaulazoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
- tappizoology: peduncle of the eyes of decapod
- varsisomething resembling the stalk of a plant
- ruotosomething resembling the stalk of a plant
- vaaniato approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- väijyäto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- vainotato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- piinatato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- jahdatato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- seuraillato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- kekkalehtiato walk haughtily
French tige, traquer
- tigestem or main axis of a plant
- traquerto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- harcelerto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
German Strunk, Stiel
- Strunkstem or main axis of a plant
- Stielstem or main axis of a plant
- Stängelstem or main axis of a plant
- Holmone of the two upright pieces of a ladder
- sich anpirschento approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- sich anschleichento approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- sich heranschleichento approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- stalkento (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- nachstellento (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- nachschleichento (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- heimsuchento (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- belästigento (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- stolzierento walk haughtily
- einherstolzierento walk haughtily
- staksento walk haughtily
- stelzento walk haughtily
- stakento walk haughtily
- steifbeinig gehento walk haughtily
Greek μίσχος, κυνηγάω
- μίσχος (míschos)stem or main axis of a plant
- κυνηγάω (kynigáo)to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- κυνηγάω (kynigáo)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Hebrew גִּבְעוֹל, ארב
- גִּבְעוֹל (giv'ol)stem or main axis of a plant
- ארב (aráv)to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
Hindi तना
- तना (tanā)stem or main axis of a plant
Hungarian szár, cserkész
- szárstem or main axis of a plant
- cserkészto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- utánaosonto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- becserkészto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- ólálkodikto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- zaklatto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- követto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- nyomában vanto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- rátapadto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- dölyfösen járto walk haughtily
- dölyfösen megyto walk haughtily
- peckesen járto walk haughtily
Indonesian kuntit, menguntit
- kuntit, menguntitto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Italian gambo, stelo
- gambostem or main axis of a plant
- stelostem or main axis of a plant
- fustostem or main axis of a plant
- caulestem or main axis of a plant
- venatura centralestem or main axis of a plant
- steloarchitecture: ornament in the Corinthian capital
- peduncolozoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
- pedicellozoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
- picciolozoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
- accostarsi furtivamenteto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- inseguireto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- tampinareto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- pedinareto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- molestareto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- infastidireto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- importunareto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- assillareto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- vessareto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Japanese 茎, 忍び寄る
- 茎 (kuki)stem or main axis of a plant
- 忍び寄る (shinobiyoru)to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- 付きまとう (tsukimatou)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Korean 그루, 줄기
- 그루 (geuru)stem or main axis of a plant
- 줄기 (julgi)stem or main axis of a plant
Latin caulis, stipula
- caulisstem or main axis of a plant
- stipulastem or main axis of a plant
Latvian stumbrs
- stumbrsstem or main axis of a plant
Lithuanian stiebas
- stiebasstem or main axis of a plant
Malay batang
- batangstem or main axis of a plant
Māori tā, tātā
- tāstem or main axis of a plant
- tātāstem or main axis of a plant
- kakastem or main axis of a plant
- tō (of monocots)stem or main axis of a plant
- whakamomokato approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- whakamokamokato approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- whakametoto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- whakamokamokato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- whakamomokato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Norwegian Bokmål stengel
- stengelstem or main axis of a plant
Persian ساقه, ستاک
- ساقه (sâqe)stem or main axis of a plant
- ستاک (setâk)stem or main axis of a plant
- ستاخ (setâx)stem or main axis of a plant
Polish łodyga, badyl
- łodygastem or main axis of a plant
- badylstem or main axis of a plant
- zakradać sięto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- nękaćto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- stalkowaćto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Portuguese talo, haste
- talostem or main axis of a plant
- hastestem or main axis of a plant
- tocaiarto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- perseguirto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- stalkearto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Romanian tijă, tulpină
- tijăstem or main axis of a plant
- tulpinăstem or main axis of a plant
- a se ține scaito (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Russian сте́бель, стебло́
- сте́бель (stébelʹ)stem or main axis of a plant
- стебло́ (stebló)stem or main axis of a plant
- кра́сться за (krástʹsja za)to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- подкра́дываться к (podkrádyvatʹsja k)to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- пресле́довать (preslédovatʹ)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- ста́лкерить (stálkeritʹ)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- вышагивать (vyšagivatʹ)to walk haughtily
Slovak stonka, steblo
- stonkastem or main axis of a plant
- steblostem or main axis of a plant
- zakrádať sato approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- špehovaťto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- sledovaťto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- stopovaťto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
Spanish tallo, acechar
- tallostem or main axis of a plant
- acecharto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- aguaitarto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- acecharto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- acosarto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Swahili bua
- buastem or main axis of a plant
Swedish stjälk, förfölja
- stjälkstem or main axis of a plant
- förföljato approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- följato approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- förföljato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- följato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- stalkato (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Tagalog tangkay, panunubaybay
- tangkaystem or main axis of a plant
- panunubaybayto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Thai ก้าน, สะกดรอย
- ก้าน (gâan)stem or main axis of a plant
- สะกดรอย (sà-gòt-rɔɔi)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- แอบตาม (ɛ̀ɛp-dtaam)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- สตอล์ก (sà-tɔ́k)to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Turkish sap, önmek
- sapstem or main axis of a plant
- önmekto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Ukrainian стебло́, сте́бель
- стебло́ (stebló)stem or main axis of a plant
- сте́бель (stébelʹ)stem or main axis of a plant
Vietnamese thân, bám đuôi
- thânstem or main axis of a plant
- bám đuôito approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- rình rậpto approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
- bám đuôito (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
- rình rậpto (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with stalk
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
stalk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stalk
“stalk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stalk. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stalk,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stalk.
Source: stalk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.