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stare (stâr)
Share:
v. stared, star·ing, stares
v.intr.
To look directly, fixedly, or vacantly, often with a wide-eyed gaze. See Synonyms at gaze.
v.tr.
To look at directly and fixedly: stared him in the eyes.
n.
An intent gaze.
Phrasal Verb:
stare down
1. To stare at (a person or animal) until that person or animal blinks or turns away.
2. To confront boldly or overcome by direct action: stared down his opponents.
Idiom:
stare in the face
1. To be plainly visible or obvious to (one); force itself on (one's) attention: The money on the table was staring her in the face.
2. To be obvious to (one) though initially overlooked: The explanation had been staring him in the face all along.
3. To be imminent or unavoidable to (one): Bankruptcy now stares us in the face.
4. To be about to experience or undergo (something dire): We are staring bankruptcy in the face.
[Middle English staren, from Old English starian; see ster-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
starer n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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