stanch

comparative stancher · superlative stanchest

1. archaicArchaic spelling of staunch.

   a stanch ship    a stanch churchman

   5 more examples

   [T]he horſemen & huntſmen ſhould blemiſh at ſuch places as they ſee the Hart enter into a thicket or couert to the end that if the hounds fall to change, they may return to thoſe blemiſhes, and put their hounds to the right ſlot and view, vntill they haue rowzed or found him againe with their bloudhound, or with ſome other ſtanch old hound of the kennell, in the which they may aſſie themſelues. For old ſtaunch houndes which will not hunt change, when they ſee an Hart rowzed & before them, they neuer call on, nor once open: but if they be young raſh houndes, they will runne with full cry & ſo take change.

   1575, Jacques du Fouilloux, “Certaine Observations and Subtleties to be Used by Huntsmen in Hunting an Hart at Force”, in George Gascoigne, transl., The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting. […], London: […] Thomas Purfoot, published 1611, →OCLC, page 112

   VVe may commend / A Gentlemans modeſty, manners, and fine language, / […] / Yet, though he obſerue, and vvaſte his ſtate vpon vs, / If he be ſtanch and bid not for the ſtocke / That vve vvere borne to traffick vvith; the truth is / VVe care not for his company.

   1624, Phillip [i.e., Philip] Massinger, The Bond-man: An Antient Storie. […], London: […] Edw[ard] Allde, for Iohn Harison and Edward Blackmore, […], →OCLC, Act I, scene iii, signature [B4], recto

   Hovv goodly, and hovv to be vviſht vvere ſuch an obedient unanimity as this, vvhat a fine conformity vvould it ſtarch us all into? doubtles a ſtanch and ſolid peece of frame-vvork, as any January could freeze together.

   1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 27

   [T]vvas very difficult to procure a Bladder ſmall and fine enough for that litle Cylinder; and that one, vvhich at length vve procured, vvould not continue ſtanch for many Tryals, but vvould after a vvhile part vvith a litle Air in the vvell exhauſted Receiver, vvhen tvvas clog'd vvith the utmoſt VVeight it could ſuſtain: but vvhilſt it continued ſtanch vve made one fair Tryal vvith it, […]

   1669, Robert Boyle, “Experiment XLVII. About an Attempt Made to Measure the Force of the Spring of Included Air, and Examine a Conjecture about the Difference of Its Strength in Unequally Broad Mouth’d Vessels.”, in A Continuation of New Experiments Physico-Mechanical, Touching the Spring and Weight of the Air, and Their Effects. The I. Part. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Henry Hall, printer to the University, for Richard Davis, →OCLC, page 160

   [T]he house a stanch good old building, and what was singular, some of the roomes floor'd dove-tail-wise without a nail, exactly close. One of the closetts is parquetted with plaine deale, set in diamond, exceeding stanch and pretty.

   1679 August 1 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 23 July 1679]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 511

comparative more stanch · superlative most stanch

1. obsoletePossibly strictly.

   But you vvill loſe your Labour, and vvhat is more, their Love and Reverence too, if they can receive from others, vvhat you deny them. This is to be kept very ſtanch, and carefully to be vvatched.

   1693, [John Locke], “§102”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, page 119

present singular third person stanches · participle present stanching · participle past stanched · past stanched · first person past singular stanched · archaic present second person singular stanchest · past second person singular stanched · archaic past second person singular stanchedst · present singular third person stanches · archaic present singular third person stancheth · past singular third person stanched · past plural stanched · past subjunctive stanched · participle present stanching · participle past stanched · alternative staunch

1. USespeciallypoetictransitiveotherwise archaicTo stop the flow of (water or some other liquid).

   I will couer the depe vpon him, I will ſtaunch his floudes, and the greate waters ſhalbe reſtrayned.

   1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Ezechiel xxxj:[15], folio lxviij, recto, column 2

   Synonyms: estop, stopple

   1. USespeciallypoetictransitiveotherwise archaicTo stop the flow of (blood); also, to stop (a wound) from bleeding.

      A small amount of cotton can be stuffed into the nose to stanch the flow of blood if necessary.

      5 more examples

      [A] hẽnes [henne's] brayne is beſt: whiche (as Auicen ſaith) ſtancheth bledynge at yͤ noſe.

      Rule of Health of Salerno

      1530, [attributed to Giovanni da Milano; annotated by Arnaldus de Villa Nova], translated by Thomas Paynell, Regimen Sanitatis Salerni. […] [Rule of Health of Salerno], London: […] Thomas Berthelet, […], →OCLC, folio T, verso

      It [rhubarb] is good againſt ſpitting of bloud, and ſtancheth it, out of vvhat part ſoeuer it runne.

      1601, Peter de la Primaudaye [i.e., Pierre de La Primaudaye], “Of Rhubarb, Licorice, Aloes, Sene, Saffron and Centurie”, in R. Dolman, transl., The Third Volume of the French Academie: Contayning a Notable Description of the Whole World, and of All the Principall Parts and Contents thereof: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] [i]mpensis Geor[ge] Bishop, →OCLC, page 353

      Hallovved be thou Veruein, as thou grovveſt on the ground, / For in the mount of Caluary there thou vvas firſt found: / Thou healedſt our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, and ſtanchedſt his bleeding vvound: / In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt, I take thee frõ the ground.

      1608, Iohn White, “The Preface to the Reader, Touching the Present Controuersies betweene Us and the Romish Church”, in The Way to the True Church: […], London: […] [Richard Field] for Iohn Bill and William Barret, →OCLC

      Bloud is ſtanched diuers vvayes. […] As Iron, or a Stone laid to the necke doth ſtanch the Bleeding at the Noſe; Alſo it hath beene tried, that the Teſticles, being put into ſharpe Vinegar, hath made a ſudden Receſſe of the Spirits, and ſtanched Bloud.

      1631, Francis [Bacon], “I. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, page 22

      Touched in the battle by the hostile reed, / Shouldst thou (but Heaven avert it!) shouldst thou bleed; / To stanch the wounds, my finest lawn I'd tear, / Wash them with tears, and wipe them with my hair; […]

      1709, Matthew Prior, “Henry and Emma. […]”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior […], Edinburgh: James Nichol, […], published 1858, →OCLC, page 153, lines 358–361

      Synonyms: estop, stopple

   2. USespeciallypoetictransitiveotherwise archaicTo make (a building or other structure) watertight or weatherproof.

      His gathered sticks to stanch the wall / Of the snow-tower, when snow should fall; […]

      1847, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Threnody”, in Poems, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 240

      Synonyms: estop, stopple

2. USespeciallytransitiveTo check or stop, or deter (an action).

   [T]heir feud would be stanched by the death of one, or probably both, of the villains, […]

   1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume II, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 24

   2 more examples

   [W]hy ſhould a man refuſe the glad tydings of ſalutation, or ſtop his eares at the voyce of the skilfull charmer, becauſe the meſſenger that brings the tydings, is ouertaken vvith ſome knovvne ſinne? Or becauſe hee that charmeth, ſtancheth not the iſſue of his ovvne corruption?

   1612 January 13 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Thomas Sutton, “Englands Summons. Hosea 4. 1, 2, 3.”, in Englands First and Second Summons. Two Sermons Preached at Pauls Crosse, […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Norton, published 1633, →OCLC, pages 52–53

   Beijing devotes immense resources to restricting access for and stanching scrutiny from international groups and reporters.

   2019 March 1, Andrew McCormick, “What It's Like to Report on Rights Abuses against Your Own Family”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 Dec 2022

   1. USespeciallytransitiveTo stop the progression of (an illness); also, to alleviate (pain); often followed by of: to relieve (someone's) pain.

      It [squill] ſtancheth the ache of the ſtomack⸝ it helpeth digeſtion⸝ and maketh a man well colored.

      1562, Wylliam Turner [i.e., William Turner], “Of the Sea Unyon Called Squilla”, in The Second Parte of Guilliam Turners Herball⸝ […], Cologne: […] Arnold Birckman, →OCLC, folio 131, recto

      1 more example

      The water of the ſame [angelica root], in a colde cauſe, is good to be layd on places diſeaſed with the Goute and Sciatica. For it ſtancheth the pain, and melteth a waye the tough humours that are gathered togither.

      1578, Thomas Brasbri[d]ge, “The Vertues of Angelica, out of D[octor] [William] Turners Herbal”, in The Poore Mans Iewel, that is to Say, A Treatise of the Pestilence. […], London: […] [Thomas Dawson?] for George Byshop, →OCLC, folio [D vii], recto

3. USespeciallyobsoletetransitiveTo extinguish or put out (as a fire, anger, etc.); also, to quench or satisfy (as desire, hunger, thirst, etc.).

   [A]s an angry Cur / Snarles vvhile he feeds, ſo vvill I ſeize and ſtanch / The hunger of my love on this proud beauty, / And leave the ſcraps for Slaves.

   1679, [John] Dryden, [Nathaniel] Lee, Oedipus: A Tragedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes […], →OCLC, Act I, pages 6–7

4. USalsoespeciallyintransitivereflexiveOf bleeding: to stop.

   [G]iving a dram and a half of Lapis Prunellæ in cold VVater, preſently the blood ſtanched vvhen the ſame and other Medicines could not formerly do it.

   1655, Lazarus Riverius [i.e., Lazare Rivière], “Of Bleeding at the Nose, Called Hæmorrhagia”, in Nicholas Culpeper, Abdiah Cole, and William Rowland, transl., The Practice of Physick, […], London: […] Peter Cole, […], →OCLC, 4th book (Of the Diseases of the Nostrils), page 118

   1 more example

   And a woman hauing an iſſue of blood twelue yeres, which had ſpent all her liuing vpon Phiſitions, neither could be healed of any, / Came behinde him [Jesus], and touched the border of his garment: and immediatly her iſſue of blood ſtanched.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 8:43–44, column 1

5. USalsoespeciallyintransitiveobsoletereflexiveOf an occurrence or other thing: to come to an end; to cease; also, of persons: to stop acting violently.

plural stanches

1. USalternativeespeciallyAlternative spelling of staunch (“that which stanches; act of stanching”).

plural stanches · alternative staunch

1. USespeciallyA floodgate by which water is accumulated, for floating a boat over a shallow part of a stream by its release; also, a dam or lock in a river.