2026

Stoop

//stuːp//

Definitions

1
A stooping, bent position of the body.
The old man walked with a stoop.
2
An accelerated descent in flight, as that for an attack.
At length the hawk got the upper hand, and made a rushing stoop at her quarry
3
A vessel for holding liquids; like a flagon but without the spout.
4
The staircase and landing or porch leading to the entrance of a residence.
Nearly all the houses were built with their gables to the streets and each had heavy wooden Dutch stoops, with seats, at its door.
Similar
porch verandah
5
The threshold of a doorway; a doorstep.
A short flight of iron steps leads up to it and a storm door is built over the stoop, forming a little vestibule, and serving to keep out the gusts.
Similar
step doorstep
6
A post or pillar, especially a gatepost or a support in a mine.

1
To bend the upper part of the body forward and downward to a half-squatting position; crouch.
He stooped to tie his shoe-laces.
Similar
bend down

Word Origin

From Middle English stoupen, from Old English stūpian (“to bow, bend”), from Proto-West Germanic *stūpōn, from Proto-Germanic *stūpōną, *stūpijaną (“to stand out”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- ...

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Stoop

//stuːp//

Definitions

nounstoops

1
A stooping, bent position of the body.
The old man walked with a stoop.
2
An accelerated descent in flight, as that for an attack.
At length the hawk got the upper hand, and made a rushing stoop at her quarry
3
A vessel for holding liquids; like a flagon but without the spout.
4
The staircase and landing or porch leading to the entrance of a residence.
Nearly all the houses were built with their gables to the streets and each had heavy wooden Dutch stoops, with seats, at its door.
Similar
porch verandah
5
The threshold of a doorway; a doorstep.
A short flight of iron steps leads up to it and a storm door is built over the stoop, forming a little vestibule, and serving to keep out the gusts.
Similar
step doorstep
6
A post or pillar, especially a gatepost or a support in a mine.

verbstoops · stooping · stooped

1
To bend the upper part of the body forward and downward to a half-squatting position; crouch.
He stooped to tie his shoe-laces.
Similar
bend down

Word Origin

From Middle English stoupen, from Old English stūpian (“to bow, bend”), from Proto-West Germanic *stūpōn, from Proto-Germanic *stūpōną, *stūpijaną (“to stand out”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- ...

Explore more words in the dictionaryWord of the Day

Translations

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crouch

squat

2

To lower oneself; to demean oneself in doing something below one's status, standards, or morals.

Can you believe that a salesman would stoop so low as to hide his customers' car keys until they agreed to the purchase?

3

Of a bird of prey: to swoop down on its prey.

the holy eagle Stoop'd, as to foote vs: his Ascension is More sweet then our blest Fields