Online Etymology Dictionary

stove (n.): mid-15c., "heated room, bath-room," from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch stove, both meaning "heated room," which was the original sense in English; a general West Germanic word (cf. Old English stofa "bath-room," German Stube "sitting room") of uncertain relationship to similar words in Romance languages (cf. Italian stufa, French étuve "sweating-room;" see stew (v.)). One theory traces them all to Vulgar Latin *extufare "take a steam bath." The meaning "device for heating or cooking" is first recorded 1610s. Stove pipe is recorded from 1690s; as a type of tall cylindrical hat for men, from 1851.
stow (v.): c.1300, verbal use of Old English noun stow "a place" (common in place names) from Proto-Germanic *stowijanan (cf. Old Frisian sto "place," Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Dutch stouwen "to stow," Old High German stouwen "to stop, check," German stauen "to stow"), from PIE *stau-, from root *sta- "to stand" (cf. Old Church Slavonic stavljo "to place," Lithuanian stoviu "to stand;" see stet). The nautical sense of "put away to be stored, pack" (1550s) was enforced by Dutch stouwen "to cram, pack up close." Related: Stowed; stowing.
stowaway (n.): 1850, from phrase stow away "conceal," in use by 1795; see stow.
strabismus (n.): "a squint," 1680s, from Modern Latin, from Greek strabismos, from strabizein "to squint," from strabos "squinting, squint-eyed." Earlier in anglicized form strabism (1650s).
straddle (v.): 1560s, probably an alteration of stridlen, frequentative of striden (see stride). U.S. colloquial sense of "take up an equivocal position, appear to favor both sides" is attested from 1838. Related: Straddled; straddling. The noun is first recorded 1610s.
Stradivarius: 1833, from Latinized form of name of Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), violin-maker of Cremona, or his sons or pupils. Short form Strad is attested from 1884.
strafe (v.): 1915, "punish, attack," picked up by British soldiers from German strafen "to punish" (from Proto-Germanic *stræf-), in slogan Gott strafe England "May God punish England," current in Germany c.1914-16 at the start of World War I. The word used for many kinds of attack at first; meaning "shoot up ground positions from low-flying aircraft" emerged as the main sense 1942.
straggle (v.): c.1400, "to wander from the proper path, to rove from one's companions," perhaps from a Scandinavian source (cf. dialectal Norwegian stragla "to walk laboriously"), or a frequentative of straken "to move, go." Specifically of soldiers from 1520s. Related: Straggled; straggling.
straight (adj.1): mid-14c., "direct, undeviating, not crooked," properly "that which is stretched," adjectival use of Old English streht (altered, by analogy with streccan, from earlier streaht), past participle of streccan "to stretch" (see stretch (v.)). Meaning "true, direct, honest" is from 1520s. Of communication, "clear, unambiguous," from 1862. Sense of "undiluted, uncompromising" (e.g. straight whiskey, 1874) is American English, first recorded 1856.

Theatrical sense of "serious" (as opposed to popular or comic) is attested from 1895; vaudeville slang straight man first attested 1923. Go straight in the underworld slang sense is from 1919; straighten up "become respectable" is from 1907. Straight arrow "decent, conventional person" is 1969, from archetypal Native American brave name. To keep a straight face first recorded 1897; straight shooter is from 1928; straight-edge as a punk subculture is attested by 1987.
straight (adj.2): "conventional," especially "heterosexual," 1941, probably in part from straight and narrow path "course of conventional morality and law-abiding behavior," which is based on a misreading of Matt. vii:14 (where the gate is actually strait), and the other influence seems to be from strait-laced.
straight (n.): 1864, "straight part of a race track," from straight (adj.1). Poker sense attested from 1841. Meaning "conventional person" is first recorded 1967 (see straight (adj.2)).
straighten (v.): 1540s, from straight + -en (1). Related: Straightened; straightening.
straightforward (adj.): 1550s, from straight (adj.1) + forward. In reference to language, from 1806.
strain (v.): "to stretch, draw tight," c.1300, from present participle stem of Old French estreindre "bind tightly, clasp, squeeze," from Latin stringere (2) "bind or draw tight," from PIE root *strenk- "tight, narrow; pull tight, twist" (cf. Lithuanian stregti "congeal;" Greek strangein "twist;" Old High German strician "mends nets;" Old English streccian "to stretch," streng "string;" German stramm, Dutch stram "stiff"). Sense of "press through a filter" is from early 14c. (implied in strainer); that of "lay undue stress on, make a forced interpretation of" is from mid-15c. Related: Strained; straining.
strain (n.2): "line of descent," Old English strion, streon "gain, begetting," from Proto-Germanic *streun- "to pile up," from PIE root *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure (n.)). Applied to animal species first in c.1600.
strain (n.1): "injury caused by straining," 1550s, from strain (v.). The meaning "passage of music" (1570s) probably developed from a verbal sense of "to tighten" the voice, originally the strings of a musical instrument (late 14c.).
strainer (n.): early 14c., agent noun from strain (v.).
strait (n.): mid-14c., "narrow, confined space or place," specifically of bodies of water from late 14c., noun use of adjective strait "narrow, strict" (late 13c.), from Old French estreit (French étroit) "tight, close, narrow" (also used as a noun), from Latin strictus, past participle of stringere "bind or draw tight" (see strain (v.)).

Sense of "difficulty, plight" (usually straits) first recorded 1540s. Strait and narrow "conventional way of life" is recorded from mid-14c. (see straight (adj.2)).
strait-jacket (n.): also straitjacket, 1814, from strait + jacket; earlier in same sense was strait-waistcoat (1753).
strait-laced (adj.): 1540s, of stays or bodices; figurative sense of "over-precise, prudish" is from 1550s; see strait (n.) + lace (v.).
straitened (adj.): c.1600, "too narrow;" 1716, "reduced to hardship;" see strait (n.). Phrase straitened circumstances recorded from 1766.
strand (n.1): "shore," Old English strand, from Proto-Germanic *strandas (cf. Danish and Swedish strand "beach, shore, strand," Old Norse strönd "border, edge, shore," Middle Low German strant, German Strand, Dutch strand "beach"), perhaps from PIE root *ster- "to stretch out." Strictly, the part of a shore that lies between the tide-marks. Formerly also used of river banks, hence the London street name (1246).
strand (v.): 1620s, "to drive aground on a shore," from strand (n.1); figurative sense of "leave helpless" is first recorded 1837. Related: Stranded; stranding.
strand (n.2): "fiber of a rope, string, etc.," late 15c., probably from Old French estran, from a Germanic source akin to Old High German streno "lock, tress, strand of hair," Middle Dutch strene, German Strähne "skein, strand," of unknown origin.
strange (adj.): late 13c., "from elsewhere, foreign, unknown, unfamiliar," from Old French estrange (French étrange) "foreign, alien," from Latin extraneus "foreign, external," from extra "outside of" (see extra). Sense of "queer, surprising" is attested from late 14c. Stranger, attested from late 14c., never picked up the secondary sense of the adjective. As a form of address to an unknown person, it is recorded from 1817, American English rural colloquial. Meaning "one who has stopped visiting" is recorded from 1520s.
strangle (v.): c.1300, from Old French estrangler, from Latin strangulare "to choke, stifle, check, constrain," from Greek strangalan "choke, twist," from strangale "a halter, cord, lace," related to strangos "twisted," from PIE root *strenk- "tight, narrow; pull tight, twist" (see strain (v.)). Related: Strangled; strangling.
stranglehold (n.): 1893, in wrestling, from strangle (v.) + hold (n.). Figurative use by 1901.
strangulation (n.): 1540s, from Latin strangulationem (nominative strangulatio), noun of action from past participle stem of strangulare (see strangle).
strap (n.): 1610s, from Scottish and/or nautical variant of strope "loop or strap on a harness" (mid-14c.), probably from Old French estrop "strap," from Latin stroppus "strap, band," perhaps from Etruscan, ultimately from Greek strophos "twisted band," from strephein "to turn" (see strophe). Old English stropp, Dutch strop "halter" also are borrowed from Latin.
strap (v.): "to fasten or secure with a strap," 1711, from strap (n.). Slang adjective strapped "short of money" is from 1857, from strap (n.) in a now-obsolete sense of "financial credit" (1828). Related: Strapped; strapping.
straphanger (n.): also strap-hanger "bus or subway rider," 1905, from strap (n.) + hanger. In reference to the hanging straps in cars meant to be held on to by those without seats.
strapless (adj.): 1846 of trousers, 1935 of brassieres, from strap (n.) + -less.
strapline (n.): 1960, in typography, from strap (n.) + line (n.). In reference to a woman's undergarments, by 1973.
strapping (adj.): "tall and sturdy," originally applied to women, 1650s, from present participle of strap (v.). Cf. similar senses of whopping, spanking.
strata: c.1700, plural of stratum.
stratagem (n.): "artifice, trick," late 15c., from Middle French stratagème "trick, especially to outwit an enemy," from Italian stratagemma, from Latin strategema "artifice, stratagem," from Greek strategema "the act of a general, military stratagem," from strategein "to be a general, command," from strategos "general" (see strategy).
strategic (adj.): "pertaining to strategy," 1825; see strategy + -ic. Related: Strategical; strategically.
strategist (n.): 1838, from French stratégiste, from stratégie (see strategy).
strategize (v.): 1943, American English, from strategy + -ize. Related: Strategized; strategizing.
strategy (n.): 1810, "art of a general," from French stratégie, from Greek strategia "office or command of a general," from strategos "general," from stratos "multitude, army, expedition," literally "that which is spread out" (see structure (n.)) + agos "leader," from agein "to lead" (see act (n.)).
strath (n.): "wide river valley between hills," 1530s, from Scottish, from Old Irish srath "wide river valley," from Old Celtic *s(t)rato-, from PIE root *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure (n.)).
stratification (n.): 1610s, from Modern Latin stratificationem (nominative stratificatio), noun of action from past participle stem of stratificare "to form strata," from stratum "thing spread out" + root of facere "to make" (see factitious).
stratify (v.): 1660s, from French stratifier, from Modern Latin stratificare, from stratum (see stratum). Related: Stratified; stratifying.
stratigraphy (n.): 1865, from Latin strati-, comb. form of stratum (see stratum) + -graphy.
stratocracy (n.): "government by the army," 1650s, from Greek stratos "army" (see strategy) + -kratia "rule of," from kratos "strength, power, rule" (see -cracy).
stratosphere (n.): 1909, from French stratosphère, literally "sphere of layers," coined by French meteorologist Léon-Philippe Teisserenc de Bort (1855-1913) from Latin stratus "a spreading out" (from past participle stem of sternere "to spread out;" see structure (n.)) + French -sphère, as in atmosphère. The region where the temperature increases or remains steady as you go higher. [An earlier stratosphere, attested in English 1908 and coined in German 1901, was a geological term for part of the Earth's crust. It is now obsolete.]
stratovolcano (n.): coined in German (von Seebach, 1866), from strato-, comb. form of stratus (see stratum) + volcano. So called for its composite structure.
stratum (n.): "horizontal layer," 1590s, from Modern Latin stratum, special use of Latin stratum "thing spread out, coverlet, pavement," from neuter past participle of sternere "to spread out, lay down, stretch out," from PIE *stre-to- "to stretch, extend," from root *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure (n.)).
stratus (n.): "a low layer of cloud," 1803, from Latin stratus "a spreading," from stratus, past participle of sternere (see stratum).
straw (n.): Old English streaw "stems or stalks of certain cereals," literally "that which is scattered or strewn," related to streowian (see strew), from Proto-Germanic *strawam "that which is scattered" (cf. Old Norse stra, Danish straa, Swedish strå, Old Frisian stre, Old Dutch, Old High German stro, German Stroh "straw"), from PIE *stere- "to spread" (see structure (n.)). The notion is of dried grain stalks strewn on a floor as carpeting or bedding. As a type of what is trifling or unimportant, attested from late 13c. Meaning "hollow tube through which a drink is sucked" is recorded from 1851.

To draw straws as a means of deciding something is recorded from 1832. The last straw is from the proverb of the camel. Straw poll is from 1932; earlier straw vote (1866). Straw hat first attested mid-15c. To clutch (or grasp or catch) at straws (1748) is what a drowning man proverbially would do.