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still¹

(stĭl)

adj. still·er, still·est

a. Not moving or in motion: The patient must be still for the doctor to work.

b. Free from disturbance, agitation, or commotion: the still waters of the lake.

c. Of or relating to a single or static photograph as opposed to a movie.

2. Making or characterized by no sound or faint sound: The crowd cheered and then grew still. See Synonyms at quiet.

3. Not carbonated; lacking effervescence: a still wine.

1. Silence; quiet: the still of the night.

2. A still photograph, especially one taken from a scene of a movie and used for promotional purposes.

3. A still-life picture.

adv.

1. Without movement; motionlessly: stand still.

a. At the present time; for the present: We are still waiting.

b. Up to or at a specified time; yet: still had not made up her mind.

c. At a future time; eventually: may still see the error of his ways.

3. In increasing amount or degree; even: and still further complaints.

4. In addition; besides: had still another helping.

5. All the same; nevertheless.

v. stilled, still·ing, stills

v.tr.

1. To make motionless or unagitated: The afternoon heat stilled the breeze.

2. To make quiet; silence: "a ... cold wind that stilled even the chorus of insects" (David Campbell).

3. To allay or calm: The parents stilled their child's fears of the dark.

v.intr.

To become still.

Idiom:

still and all

Informal After taking everything into consideration; nevertheless; however: Still and all, our objective can be achieved.

[Middle English, from Old English stille; see stel- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

stillness n.

still²

(stĭl)

1. An apparatus for distilling liquids, such as alcohols, consisting of a vessel in which the substance is vaporized by heat and a cooling device in which the vapor is condensed.

2. A distillery.

[From Middle English stillen, to distill, from distillen; see DISTILL.]

Still

(stĭl), Andrew Taylor 1828-1917.

American physician who developed osteopathy and founded the American School of Osteopathy (1892).

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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