Online Etymology Dictionary

stallion (n.): late 14c., "uncastrated male horse," from Old French estalon "male horse," from Frankish *stal, cognate with Old High German stal "stable" (see stall (n.1)). The notion is probably of a horse kept in a stable to service mares. Transferred sense of "lascivious man" is attested from 1550s.
stalwart (adj.): late 14c., Scottish variant of Old English stælwierðe "good, serviceable," probably a contracted compound of staðol "foundation, support" (from Proto-Germanic *stathlaz, from PIE root *sta- "to stand, set down, make or be firm;" see stet) + wierðe "good, excellent, worthy" (see worth). Another theory traces the first element of stælwierðe to Old English stæl "place," from Proto-Germanic *stælaz. In U.S. political history, applied 1877 by Blaine to Republicans who refused to give up their hostility to and distrust of the South.
stamen (n.): "pollen-bearing organ of a flower," 1660s, from Modern Latin (1625, Spigelus), from Latin stamen "stamen" (Pliny), literally "thread of the warp" in the upright loom (related to stare "to stand"), from PIE *sta-men- (cf. Greek stemon "warp," also used by Hesychius for some part of a plant, Gothic stoma, Sanskrit sthaman "place," also "strength"), from root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).
stamina (n.): 1670s, "rudiments or original elements of something," from Latin stamina "threads," plural of stamen (genitive staminis) "thread, warp" (see stamen). Sense of "power to resist or recover, strength, endurance" first recorded 1726 (originally plural), from earlier meaning "congenital vital capacities of a person or animal," also in part from Latin application to the threads spun by the Fates to determine the length and course of one's life, and partly from a figurative use of Latin stamen "the warp (of cloth)" on the notion of the warp as the "foundation" of a fabric.
stammer (v.): Old English stamerian, from West Germanic *stamrojan (cf. Old Norse stammr, Old High German stam, Gothic stamms "stammering," Middle Dutch stameren, German stammeln "to stammer," Old Frisian and German stumm "dumb"), from PIE root *stam-, *stum- "check, impede" (see stem (v.)).
stammtisch (n.): 1938, "table reserved for regular customers in a German restaurant," from German Stammtisch, from Stamm "cadre," literally "tree, trunk" + tisch "table" (see dish (n.)).
stamp (v.): Old English stempan "to pound in a mortar, stamp," from Proto-Germanic *stampojanan (cf. Old Norse stappa, Middle Dutch stampen, Old High German stampfon, German stampfen "to stamp with the foot, beat, pound," German Stampfe "pestle"), from nasalized form of PIE root *stebh- "to support, place firmly on" (cf. Greek stembein "to trample, misuse;" see staff (n.)). The meaning "impress or mark (something) with a die" is first recorded 1560.

To stamp out "extinguish (a fire) by stamping on it" is attested from 1851 in the figurative sense. Stamping ground "one's particular territory" (1821) is from the notion of animals. Italian stampa "stamp, impression," Spanish estampar "to stamp, print," French estamper "to stamp, impress" are Germanic loan-words.
stamp (n.): mid-15c., "stamping tool," from stamp (v.). Sense of "official mark or imprint" (to certify that duty has been paid on what has been printed or written) dates from 1540s; transferred 1837 to adhesive labels issued by governments to serve the same purpose as impressed stamps. Stamp-collecting is from 1862.
stampede (n.): 1828, from Mexican Spanish estampida, from Spanish, "an uproar," from estamper "to stamp, press, pound," from the same Germanic root that yielded English stamp (v.). The political sense is first recorded 1846. As the name of an annual exhibition of cowboy skills in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, it is attested from 1912.
stampede (v.): 1823; see stampede (n.). Related: Stampeded; stampeding.
stance (n.): 1530s, "standing place, station," probably from Middle French stance "resting place, harbor," from Italian stanza "stopping place, station," from Vulgar Latin *stantia "place, abode," from Latin stans (genitive stantis), present participle of stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Sense of "position of the feet" (in golf, etc.) is first recorded 1897; figurative sense of "point of view" is recorded from 1956.
stanch (v.): "to stop the flow of" (especially of blood), c.1300, from Old French estanchier "cause to cease flowing, stop, hinder," from Vulgar Latin *stancare, perhaps contracted from *stagnicare, from Latin stagnum "pond, pool" (see stagnate).
stanchion (n.): mid-14c., from Old French estanchon "prop, brace, support" (French étançon), probably from estant "upright," from present participle of ester "be upright, stand," from Latin stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).
stand (v.): Old English standan (class VI strong verb; past tense stod, past participle standen), from Proto-Germanic *sta-n-d- (cf. Old Norse standa, Old Saxon and Gothic standan, Old High German stantan, Swedish stå, Dutch staan, German stehen), from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).

Sense of "to exist, be present" is attested from c.1300. Meaning "to pay for as a treat" is from 1821. Phrase stands to reason (1620) is from earlier stands (is constant) with reason. Phrase stand pat is originally from poker (1882); stand down in the military sense of "go off duty" is first recorded 1916. Standing ovation attested by 1968; standing army is from c.1600.
stand (n.): "pause, delay," Old English, from the root of stand (v.). Meaning "place of standing, position" is from c.1300; figurative sense is from 1590s. Sense of "action of standing or coming to a position" is attested from late 14c., especially in reference to fighting. Meaning "raised platform for a hunter or sportsman" is attested from c.1400.

Sense of "stall or booth" is first recorded c.1500. Military meaning "complete set" (of arms, colors, etc.) is from 1721, often a collective singular. Sense of "standing growth of trees" is 1868, American English. Theatrical sense of "each stop made on a performance tour" is from 1896. The word was formerly also slang for "an erection" (1867).
stand for (v.): 1560s, "represent, be in place of," from stand (v.). Meaning "endure, undergo" is recorded from c.1600. Sense of "tolerate" first recorded 1620s.
stand in (v.): "substitute," 1904, show-biz slang, from stand (v.). As a noun, it is attested from 1928.
stand-alone (adj.): 1966, from stand (v.) + alone.
stand-by (n.): also standby, 1796, originally nautical, of a vessel kept nearby for emergencies, from stand (v.) + by. In civil aviation, as an adjective meaning "without a booked ticket," from 1961. The verbal phrase stand by "await, support" is from 13c. As an order to hold one's self in readiness, it is recorded from 1660s.
stand-off (n.): also stand-off, 1843, "draw, tie," from stand (v.) + off. Mexican stand-off "stalemate" is recorded from 1891.
stand-up (adj.): "courageous," 1811, originally of fist fights. To stand (someone) up "fail to keep an appointment" is attested from 1902. Stand-up comic first attested 1966.
standard (n.): mid-12c., "flag or other conspicuous object to serve as a rallying point for a military force," from Old French estandart, probably from Frankish *standhard, literally "stand fast or firm," a compound of words similar to Gothic standan "to stand" (see stand) and hardus "hard" (see hard). So called because the flag was fixed to a pole or spear and stuck in the ground to stand upright.

The other theory connects the Old French word to estendre "to stretch out," from Latin extendere (see extend). Meaning "unit of measure" is early 14c., from Anglo-French, where it was used 13c., and is perhaps metaphoric, the royal standard coming to stand for royal authority in matters like setting weights and measures. Hence the meaning "authoritative or recognized exemplar of quality or correctness" (late 15c.).

Meaning "rule, principal or means of judgment" is from 1560s. That of "definite level of attainment" is attested from 1711 (e.g. standard of living, 1903). Some senses (e.g. "upright pole," mid-15c.) seem to be influenced by stand (v.). Standard-bearer in the figurative sense is from 1560s.
standardization (n.): 1896, noun of action from standardize.
standardize (v.): 1857; see standard + -ize. Related: Standardized; standardizing.
standing (n.): late 14c., action of stand (v.). In the sense of "rank, status," it is first recorded 1570s. Legal sense is first recorded 1924. Sports sense is from 1881.
standoffish (adj.): 1826, from stand off + -ish. Verbal phrase stand off "hold aloof" is from c.1600. Related: Standoffishly; standoffishness.
standout (n.): also stand-out, 1898, "a strike by workers," from stand (v.) + out. Meaning "one who is eminent" is from 1928; as an adjective in this sense from 1932.
standpoint (n.): 1829, from stand (v.) + point (n.). A loan-translation of German Standpunkt.
standstill (n.): "state of cessation of movement," 1702, from stand (v.) + still (adv.). Earlier the notion would have been expressed simply by stand.
Stanford-Binet: intelligence test, first published 1916 as a revision and extension of the Binet-Simon intelligence tests, from Stanford University + Alfred Binet (1857-1911).
stanine (n.): "nine-point scale for test scores," introduced by the U.S. Air Force in 1942, from sta(ndard) + nine.
Stanislavsky (adj.): in reference to a method of acting, 1924, from Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavsky (1863-1938).
stank: past tense of sink (q.v.).
stannic (adj.): "containing tin," 1790, from Modern Latin stannum, from Late Latin stannum "tin" (earlier "alloy of silver and lead"), a scribal alteration of Latin stagnum, probably from a Celtic source (cf. Irish stan "tin," Cornish and Breton sten, Welsh ystaen). The Latin word is the source of Italian stagno, French étain, Spanish estaño "tin."
stanza (n.): "group of rhymed verse lines," 1580s, from Italian stanza "verse of a poem," originally "standing, stopping place," from Vulgar Latin *stantia "a stanza of verse," so called from the stop at the end of it, from Latin stans (genitive stantis), present participle of stare "to stand" (see stet).
stapes (n.): "stirrup bone in the middle ear," 1660s, from Modern Latin (1560s), special use of Medieval Latin stapes "stirrup," probably an alteration of Late Latin stapia, related to stare "to stand" + pedem, accusative of pes "foot" (see foot). So called because the bone is shaped like a stirrup. This was an invented Medieval Latin word for "stirrup," for which there was no classical Latin word, as the ancients did not use stirrups.
staph: colloquial short form of staphylococcus, attested from 1933.
staphylococcus (n.): (plural staphylococci), 1887, Modern Latin, the genus name, coined (on model of streptococcus) in 1882 by Scottish surgeon and bacteriologist Alexander Ogston (1844-1929), from Greek staphyle "bunch of grapes" (see staff (n.)) + Modern Latin coccus "spherical bacterium," from Greek kokkos "berry, grain" (see cocco-). So called because the bacteria usually bunch together in irregular masses.
staple (n.1): "bent piece of metal with pointed ends," late 13c., from Old English stapol "post, pillar," from Proto-Germanic *stapulaz "pillar" (cf. Old Frisian stapul "stem of a tooth," Middle Low German stapel "block for executions," German Stapel "stake, beam"), from PIE stebh- (see staff (n.)).

Meaning "piece of thin wire driven through papers to hold them together" is attested from 1895. How this evolved into the modern fastening device is unclear, and it may not be the same word.
staple (n.2): "principal article grown or made in a country or district," early 15c., "official market for some class of merchandise," from Anglo-French (14c.), from Old French estaple "market," from a Germanic source akin to Middle Low German stapol, Middle Dutch stapel "market," from the same source as staple (n.1), the notion being of market stalls behind pillars of an arcade, or else of a raised platform where the king's deputies administered judgment. The sense of "principle article grown or made in a place" is 1610s, short for staple ware "wares and goods from a market" (early 15c.).
stapler (n.): mechanical device for driving staples, by 1949; agent noun from staple (v.).
star (n.): Old English steorra, from Proto-Germanic *sterron, *sternon (cf. Old Saxon sterro, Old Norse stjarna, Old Frisian stera, Dutch ster, Old High German sterro, German Stern, Gothic stairno), from PIE *ster- (cf. Sanskrit star-, Hittite shittar, Greek aster, astron, Latin stella, Breton sterenn, Welsh seren "star").

Astrological sense of "influence of planets and zodiac on human affairs" is recorded from mid-13c.; star-crossed is from "Romeo and Juliet" (1592). Stars as a ranking of quality for hotels, restaurants, etc. are attested from 1886, originally in Baedecker guides. Brass star as a police badge is recorded from 1859 (New York City).
star (v.): 1824, "perform the lead part" (said of actors, singers, etc.), from star (n.). Sporting sense is from 1916. Related: Starred; starring.
Star Chamber (n.): late 14c., apartment in the royal palace at Westminster in which members of the king's council sat to exercise jurisdiction 14-15c., it evolved 15c. into a court of criminal jurisdiction, proverbial under James I and Charles I for arbitrary and oppressive proceedings. Abolished 1641. Supposedly so called because gilt stars were painted on the ceiling.
Star Wars (n.): name of a popular science fiction film released in 1977; also the informal name for a space-based missile defense system proposed in 1983 by U.S. president Ronald Reagan.
star-fruit (n.): Damasonium stellatum, 1857, from star (n.) + fruit (n.). So called for its shape.
star-gazer (n.): 1550s, from star (n.) + agent noun from gaze (v.).
starboard (n.): Old English steorbord, literally "side on which a vessel was steered," from steor- "rudder, steering paddle" (see steer (v.)) + bord "ship's side" (see board (n.2)). Cf. Old Norse stjornborði, Low German stürbord, German Steuerbord.

Early Germanic peoples' boats were propelled and steered by a paddle on the right side. French tribord (Old French estribord), Italian stribordo are Germanic loan-words.
starch (v.): c.1400, from Old English *stercan (Mercian), *stiercan (West Saxon) "make rigid," found in stercedferhð "fixed, hard, resolute" (related to stearc "stiff"), from Proto-Germanic *starkijanan (cf. German Stärke "strength, starch"), from PIE root *ster- "strong, firm, stiff, rigid" (see stark). Related: Starched; starching.
starch (n.): "pasty substance used to stiffen cloth," mid-15c., from starch (v.). Figurative sense of "stiffness of manner" is recorded from 1705.