stalk

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• Received-Pronunciation: stôk
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• Received-Pronunciation: /stɔːk/
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• British, Southern, Standard: /stoːk/
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• Northumbria: /staːk/
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• General-American: stôk
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• General-American: /stɔk/
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• cot-caught-merger: /stɑk/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• US: cot-caught Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• homophone: stork (non-rhotic)
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• homophone: stock (cot–caught merger)
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• rhymes with -ɔːk
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• CMU ARPABET: S T AO1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From Middle English stalke, stelke, stalk, perhaps from Old English *stealc, *stielc, *stealuc, from Proto-West Germanic *staluk, *stalik, from Proto-Germanic *stalukaz, *stalikaz, diminutive of Proto-Germanic *stalô, *staluz (“support, stem, stalk”), from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (“to place, stand; be stiff; stud, post, trunk, stake, stem, stalk”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch staal (“sample”), steel (“stem”), German Stiel (“stalk”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål stilk (“stalk, stem”), Faroese stjølur (“bottom part of a sheaf”), Icelandic stilkur (“stalk, stem”), Norwegian Nynorsk stilk, stylk (“stalk, stem”), styl (“lower part of a straw”), Swedish stjälk (“stalk, stem”), Albanian shtalkë (“crossbeam, board used as a door hinge”), Welsh telm (“frond”), Ancient Greek στειλειή (steileiḗ, “beam”), Old Armenian ստեղն (stełn, “trunk, stalk”).

From Middle English stalken, from Old English *stealcian (as in bestealcian (“to move stealthily”), stealcung (“stalking”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stalukōn, from Proto-Germanic *stalukōną (“to stalk, move stealthily”) (compare Dutch stelkeren, stolkeren (“to tip-toe, tread carefully”), Danish stalke (“to high step, stalk”), Norwegian dialectal stalka (“to trudge”)), from *stalkaz, *stelkaz (compare Old English stealc (“steep”), Old Norse stelkr, stjalkr (“knot (bird), red sandpiper”)), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)telg, *(s)tolg- (compare Middle Irish tolg (“strength”), Lithuanian stalgùs (“stiff, defiant, proud”)). Alternate etymology connects Proto-Germanic *stalkōną to a frequentative form of *stelaną (“to steal”).

Attested 1530 in the sense "to walk haughtily", perhaps from Old English stealc (“steep”), from Proto-Germanic *stelkaz, *stalkaz (“high, lofty, steep, stiff”); see above.

204 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Albanian: kërcell — stem or main axis of a plant
• Arabic: سَاق (sāq) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Armenian: ցողուն (cʻoġun) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Bashkir: һабаҡ (habaq) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Belarusian: сцябло́ (scjabló) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Bulgarian: стъбло (stǎblo) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Catalan: tija — stem or main axis of a plant
• Cebuano: dagami — stem or main axis of a plant
• Chinese Mandarin: 莖 /茎 (jīng) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Czech: stonek — stem or main axis of a plant
• Danish: stængel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Dutch: steel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Dutch: stengel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Dutch: halm — stem or main axis of a plant
• Estonian: vars — stem or main axis of a plant
• Finnish: varsi — stem or main axis of a plant
• French: tige — stem or main axis of a plant
• Galician: talo — stem or main axis of a plant
• Galician: pabea — stem or main axis of a plant
• Galician: couceiro — stem or main axis of a plant
• Georgian: ღერო (ɣero) — stem or main axis of a plant
• German: Strunk — stem or main axis of a plant
• German: Stiel — stem or main axis of a plant
• German: Stängel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Greek: μίσχος (míschos) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Ancient Greek: καυλός (kaulós) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Hebrew: גִּבְעוֹל (giv'ol) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Hindi: तना (tanā) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Hungarian: szár — stem or main axis of a plant
• Ingrian: vars — stem or main axis of a plant
• Italian: gambo — stem or main axis of a plant
• Italian: stelo — stem or main axis of a plant
• Italian: fusto — stem or main axis of a plant
• Italian: caule — stem or main axis of a plant
• Italian: venatura centrale — stem or main axis of a plant
• Japanese: 茎 (kuki) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Kabuverdianu: pé — stem or main axis of a plant
• Kazakh: сабақ (sabaq) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Korean: 그루 (geuru) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Korean: 줄기 (julgi) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Northern Kurdish: bistîk — stem or main axis of a plant
• Latin: caulis — stem or main axis of a plant
• Latin: stipula — stem or main axis of a plant
• Latvian: stumbrs — stem or main axis of a plant
• Lithuanian: stiebas — stem or main axis of a plant
• Low German: Steel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Low German: Stängel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Low German: Halm — stem or main axis of a plant
• Macedonian: стебло (steblo) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Makasae: bata — stem or main axis of a plant
• Malay: batang — stem or main axis of a plant
• Malayalam: തണ്ട് (taṇṭŭ) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Western Bukidnon Manobo: reɣami — stem or main axis of a plant
• Māori: tā — stem or main axis of a plant
• Māori: tātā — stem or main axis of a plant
• Māori: kaka — stem or main axis of a plant
• Māori: tō (of monocots) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Norwegian Bokmål: stengel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Norwegian Nynorsk: stengel — stem or main axis of a plant
• Occitan: tija — stem or main axis of a plant
• Persian: ساقه (sâqe) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Persian: ستاک (setâk) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Persian: ستاخ (setâx) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Middle Persian: 𐮍𐮑𐮀𐮄 (stāx) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Polish: łodyga — stem or main axis of a plant
• Polish: badyl — stem or main axis of a plant
• Portuguese: talo — stem or main axis of a plant
• Portuguese: haste — stem or main axis of a plant
• Romanian: tijă — stem or main axis of a plant
• Romanian: tulpină — stem or main axis of a plant
• Russian: сте́бель (stébelʹ) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Russian: стебло́ (stebló) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Serbo-Croatian: стабљика — stem or main axis of a plant
• Serbo-Croatian: stabljika — stem or main axis of a plant
• Serbo-Croatian: пeтeљка — stem or main axis of a plant
• Serbo-Croatian: peteljka — stem or main axis of a plant
• Slovak: stonka — stem or main axis of a plant
• Slovak: steblo — stem or main axis of a plant
• Slovene: steblo — stem or main axis of a plant
• Spanish: tallo — stem or main axis of a plant
• Swahili: bua — stem or main axis of a plant
• Swedish: stjälk — stem or main axis of a plant
• Tagalog: tangkay — stem or main axis of a plant
• Thai: ก้าน (gâan) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Tocharian B: pere — stem or main axis of a plant
• Turkish: sap — stem or main axis of a plant
• Ottoman Turkish: صاپ (sap) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Ottoman Turkish: اوزدك (özdek) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Ukrainian: стебло́ (stebló) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Ukrainian: сте́бель (stébelʹ) — stem or main axis of a plant
• Uzbek: poya — stem or main axis of a plant
• Vietnamese: thân — stem or main axis of a plant
• Finnish: varsi — something resembling the stalk of a plant
• Finnish: ruoto — something resembling the stalk of a plant
• Italian: stelo — architecture: ornament in the Corinthian capital
• Finnish: pystytuki — one of the two upright pieces of a ladder
• German: Holm — one of the two upright pieces of a ladder
• Finnish: kaula — zoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
• Italian: peduncolo — zoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
• Italian: pedicello — zoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
• Italian: picciolo — zoology: stem or peduncle, as in certain barnacles and crinoids
• Finnish: tappi — zoology: peduncle of the eyes of decapod
• Asturian: chisbar — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Bulgarian: прокрадвам се (prokradvam se) — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Czech: sledovat — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Czech: stopovat — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Finnish: vaania — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Finnish: väijyä — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• French: traquer — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Galician: aseitar — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• German: sich anpirschen — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• German: sich anschleichen — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• German: sich heranschleichen — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Greek: κυνηγάω (kynigáo) — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Hebrew: ארב (aráv) — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Hungarian: cserkész — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Hungarian: utánaoson — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Hungarian: becserkész — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Hungarian: ólálkodik — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Italian: accostarsi furtivamente — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Italian: inseguire — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Italian: tampinare — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Italian: pedinare — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Japanese: 忍び寄る (shinobiyoru) — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Māori: whakamomoka — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Māori: whakamokamoka — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Māori: whakameto — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Nǀuu: ǃaba — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Old English: bestealcian — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Old English: bestelan — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Polish: zakradać się — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Portuguese: tocaiar — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Russian: кра́сться за (krástʹsja za) — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Russian: подкра́дываться к (podkrádyvatʹsja k) — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Slovak: zakrádať sa — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Slovak: špehovať — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Slovak: sledovať — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Slovak: stopovať — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Spanish: acechar — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Spanish: aguaitar — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Swedish: förfölja — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Swedish: följa — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Vietnamese: bám đuôi — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Vietnamese: rình rập — to approach slowly and quietly in order not to be discovered when getting closer
• Bulgarian: преследвам (presledvam) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Chinese Mandarin: 纏擾 /缠扰 (chánrǎo) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Czech: pronásledovat — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Czech: šmírovat — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Dutch: stalken — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Finnish: vainota — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Finnish: piinata — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Finnish: jahdata — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Finnish: seurailla — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• French: harceler — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• German: stalken — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• German: nachstellen — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• German: nachschleichen — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• German: heimsuchen — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• German: belästigen — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Greek: κυνηγάω (kynigáo) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Hungarian: zaklat — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Hungarian: követ — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Hungarian: nyomában van — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Hungarian: rátapad — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Indonesian: kuntit, menguntit — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Italian: molestare — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Italian: infastidire — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Italian: importunare — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Italian: assillare — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Italian: vessare — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Japanese: 付きまとう (tsukimatou) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Māori: whakamokamoka — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Māori: whakamomoka — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Polish: nękać — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Polish: stalkować — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Portuguese: perseguir — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Portuguese: stalkear — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Romanian: a se ține scai — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Russian: пресле́довать (preslédovatʹ) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Russian: ста́лкерить (stálkeritʹ) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Spanish: acechar — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Spanish: acosar — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Swedish: förfölja — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Swedish: följa — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Swedish: stalka — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Tagalog: panunubaybay — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Thai: สะกดรอย (sà-gòt-rɔɔi) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Thai: แอบตาม (ɛ̀ɛp-dtaam) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Thai: สตอล์ก (sà-tɔ́k) — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Turkish: önmek — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Vietnamese: bám đuôi — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Vietnamese: rình rập — to (try to) follow or contact someone constantly, often resulting in harassment
• Czech: vykračovat si — to walk haughtily
• Finnish: kekkalehtia — to walk haughtily
• German: stolzieren — to walk haughtily
• German: einherstolzieren — to walk haughtily
• German: staksen — to walk haughtily
• German: stelzen — to walk haughtily
• German: staken — to walk haughtily
• German: steifbeinig gehen — to walk haughtily
• Hungarian: dölyfösen jár — to walk haughtily
• Hungarian: dölyfösen megy — to walk haughtily
• Hungarian: peckesen jár — to walk haughtily
• Russian: вышагивать (vyšagivatʹ) — to walk haughtily