style
Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English stile, stel, stele, stiel, stiele, stil, still, stille, styele, style, styill, styll, styyl, from Old French style, estile, stil, stile (modern French style), or from Medieval Latin stylus, both from Latin stilus, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg-.

The English word is cognate with Catalan estil, German Stiel, Italian stilo, Occitan estil, Portuguese estilo, Spanish estilo.

The verb is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation Noun

style

  1. Senses relating to a thin, pointed object.
    1. (historical) A sharp stick used for writing on clay tablets or other surfaces; a stylus; (by extension, obsolete) an instrument used to write with ink; a pen.
      • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight's Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗, book II, page 26 ↗:
        Thus while his Thoughts the lingring Day beguile, / To gentle Arcite let us turn our Style; [...]
    2. A tool with a sharp point used in engraving; a burin, a graver, a stylet, a stylus.
    3. The gnomon or pin of a sundial, the shadow of which indicates the hour.
    4. (botany) The stalk that connects the stigma(s) to the ovary in a pistil of a flower.
      Synonyms: stylet
    5. (surgery) A kind of surgical instrument with a blunt point, used for exploration.
      Synonyms: stylet
    6. (zoology) A small, thin, pointed body part.
      Synonyms: stylet
      1. (entomology) A long, slender, bristle-like process near the anal region.
        the anal styles of insects
  2. (by extension from sense 1.1) A particular manner of expression in writing or speech, especially one regarded as good.
    • 1678, John Bunyan, “The Author’s Apology for His Book ↗”, in The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC ↗:
      May I not vvrite in such a ſtile as this? / In ſuch a method too, and yet not miſs / Mine end, thy good? vvhy may it not be done?
    1. A legal or traditional term or formula of words used to address or refer to a person, especially a monarch or a person holding a post or having a title.
      Monarchs are often addressed with the style of Majesty.
  3. A particular manner of creating, doing, or presenting something, especially a work of architecture or art.
    1. A particular manner of acting or behaving; (specifically) one regarded as fashionable or skilful; flair, grace.
      As a dancer, he has a lot of style.
      Backstabbing people is not my style.
    2. A particular way in which one grooms, adorns, dresses, or carries oneself; (specifically) a way thought to be attractive or fashionable.
    3. (computing) A visual or other modification to text or other elements of a document, such as boldface or italics.
      applying styles to text in a wordprocessor  Cascading Style Sheets
    4. (printing, publishing) A set of rules regarding the presentation of text (spelling, typography, the citation of references, etc.) and illustrations that is applied by a publisher to the works it produces.
      the house style of the journal
Related terms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

style (styles, present participle styling; simple past and past participle styled)

  1. (transitive) To design, fashion, make, or arrange in a certain way or form (style)
  2. (transitive, formal) To call or give a name or title to.
    The pope is styled His/Your Holiness.
    Synonyms: designate, dub, name, Thesaurus:denominate
    • 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:
      […] 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.
    • 1726 October 27, [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):
      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.
    • 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 ↗:
      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; [...]
    • 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter X, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume I, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC ↗, page 106 ↗:
      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.
  3. (transitive, informal) To create for, or give to, someone a style, fashion, or image, particularly one which is regarded as attractive, tasteful, or trendy.
  4. (intransitive, US, informal) To act in a way which seeks to show that one possesses style.
Translations Translations
  • Portuguese: tratar por/de



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