stag

1 of 3

noun

ˈstag How to pronounce stag (audio)
plural stags
Synonyms of stagnext
1
or plural stag : an adult male red deer
also : the male of various other deer (especially genus Cervus)
2
chiefly Scotland : a young horse
especially : a young unbroken stallion
3
: a male animal castrated after sexual maturity compare steer sense 1
4
: a young adult male domestic chicken or turkey
5
a
: a social gathering of men only
b
: one who attends a dance or party without a companion

stag

2 of 3

verb

stagged; stagging

transitive verb

British
: to spy on

intransitive verb

: to attend a dance or party without a companion

stag

3 of 3

adjective

1
a
: restricted to men
a stag party
b
: intended for a male audience
especially : pornographic
stag movies
2
: unaccompanied by someone of the opposite sex
stag women
stag adverb

Synonyms of stag

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of stag in a Sentence

Adjective a stash of stag flicks that were hidden in the basement
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Maybe there was even a stag film. — Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026 Amusingly, these events were nicknamed perytons, after a fictional beast that had the hybrid body of a stag and bird but cast the shadow of a human; a nod to their imposter nature. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 26 June 2026
Adjective
Fred picked from lakeside sedges beside stag moose, camels, and giant beavers as the matriarch kept watch for dire wolves. — Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022 Hannah Dale, the founder of Wrendale Designs and artist behind the stag cards, told Hello! — Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 30 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for stag

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stagge, from Old English stagga; akin to Old Norse andarsteggi drake

Verb

stag (informer)

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stag was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing stag

Rhymes for stag

See All Rhymes for stag

Browse Nearby Words

staff vine
stag
stag's horn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stag. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

stag

1 of 2 noun
ˈstag How to pronounce stag (audio)
plural stags
1
or plural stag : an adult male deer especially of one of the larger kinds
2
a
: a social gathering of men only
b
: a man who attends a dance or party unaccompanied by a woman

stag

2 of 2 adjective
1
: intended for men only
a stag party
2
: unaccompanied by someone of the opposite sex
stag adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on stag

Nglish: Translation of stag for Spanish Speakers

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