stag
stag
UK[stæɡ]US[stæɡ]
n
An adult male deer, especially a male red deer.
n
A man who attends a social gathering unaccompanied by a woman, especially one who is part of a group of such men.
n
A person who buys newly issued shares with the intention of selling them immediately for a profit.
Etymology
The word 'stag' originates from the Old English 'stagga' or 'stacga', which referred specifically to a male deer. Its ultimate origin is uncertain but it is likely Germanic, possibly related to Old Norse 'steggr' meaning 'male bird'. The term has always been specific to the male gender of the animal. The financial sense, dating from the early 19th century, derives metaphorically from the image of a stag as a solitary, speculative creature, while the social sense of an unaccompanied man is a 20th-century extension of this solitary connotation.
Analysis
The word 'stag' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It is not productively composed of smaller, separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
A magnificent stag stood at the edge of the forest, its antlers silhouetted against the sky.
The wedding had a strict no-stag policy, so he couldn't attend without a date.
He made a quick profit as a stag, selling the shares he had just been allocated.