▪ I. stickle, n.1 s.w. dial.
(ˈstɪk(ə)l)
[Ellipt. use of stickle a.]
A place in a river where the bed slopes and the water is shallow and runs swiftly; a rapid.
| 1616 W. Browne Brit. Past. ii. iv. 108 Patient Anglers standing all the day Neere to some shallow stickle or deepe bay. 1857 G. H. Kingsley Sport & Trav. (1900) 450, I..rushed frantically through stickle and over stone. 1887 W. H. H. Rogers Mem. West ii. 19 A kind of little bay among some reeds at the foot of a stickle. 1897 Encycl. Sport I. 583/2 (Hunting, otter) Stickle, West country term for a shallow. |
▪ II. stickle, n.2
(ˈstɪk(ə)l)
[f. stickle v.]
† 1. Persistent activity or endeavour (in a cause).
| 1675 V. Alsop Anti-Sozzo iii. ii. 173 Thus the poor Gentiles, after all his zealous stickle in their Cause, are left in the lurch to shift for themselves as well as they can. |
† 2. Contention, strife. Obs.
| 1682 N. O. Boileau's Lutrin i. 77 Have I by secreet Arts, nourisht the Stickle Between the Church-men, and the Conventicle? |
3. An agitated or bewildered state of mind; consternation or alarm; hurry or flurry. dial.
| 1744 Mrs. Robinson in Mrs. Climenson Eliz. Montagu (1906) I. 176, I was very composed, never thinking there would be any need to put myself in a stickle. 1825 Brockett N.C. Gloss., Stickle, a hurry, a bustle. 1853 G. J. Cayley Las Alforjas I. 218 The old Moorish merchant, who was in a tremendous stickle to get his wheat to the market at Tangier. 1877 Holderness Gloss., Stickle, fuss; perplexity; embarrassment; bewilderment; excitement. |
▪ III. stickle, a. Obs. exc. dial.
(ˈstɪk(ə)l)
Forms: 1 sticol, 5 stikill, -ell, 6 stykell, stikle, 7 superl. stickellest, 6– stickle.
[OE. sticol lofty, steep, rough, difficult (of a road) = OS. stecul (Gallée), MLG. stekel, OHG. stechal, abrupt, steep, sharp, rough, f. Teut. root *stik- (*stek-): see stick v.1]
1. Of a hill or incline: Steep, high-pitched. s.w. dial.
| c 960 Rule St. Benet (Schröer) Prol. 5 Se [weᵹ] is neara and sticol, þe to life and to heofona rice læt. c 1475 Partenay 5848 Thys mont..narew and stikell to sight. 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 177 b, That grounde boweth beste: that is easely stykell [qui leniter molliterque adsurgit]. 1623 R. Carpenter Conscionable Chr. 23 Admonishing vs to auoyd..the thorny copse of couetousnesse, and the stickle path of pride. 1796 W. H. Marshall W. Eng. I. 330 Stickle, steep, as a road; or rapid, as a stream. 1894 W. Raymond Love & Quiet Life iii. 28 The cottage with the stickle roof. |
† 2. Of a storm: ? Sharp, severe. Obs.
| a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 4186 And stint was all þe stikill stormes in a stand-quile. |
3. Of running water: Rapid. s.w. dial.
| 1586 J. Hooker Hist. Irel. 37/1 in Holinshed, They found the same to be so deepe and stikle, that they could not passe ouer the same. 1614 Gorges Lucan i. 23 Through stickle Rhene the boates to steare. 1796 [see 1]. 1894 Blackmore Perlycross xliv. 461 A mile of water..bright with stickle runs. |
4. Of the hair of an animal: Rough, bristly. Hence stickle-haired adj. Now dial. (Yorks.).
| 1615 G. Sandys Trav. i. 76 Their dogs..that serue for that purpose [hunting] are stickle haired, and not vnlike to the Irish grayhounds. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1756) I. 42 Horses which..have their Coats staring and stickle, (as the Term is). 1868 J. C. Atkinson Cleveland Gloss. 496 Stickle-haired, with the hair rough and bristling; of the coat of a neglected horse or colt. |
Hence † ˈstickleness. Obs.
| 1586 J. Hooker Hist. Irel. 37/1 in Holinshed, The stiklenesse and danger of the water. 1602 Carew Cornwall ii. 120 b, A path..in many places, through his sticklenesse occasioning, and through his steepnesse threatning, the ruine of your life, with the failing of your foote. |
▪ IV. stickle, v.
(ˈstɪk(ə)l)
Forms: 6 styckyll, 7 stickell, sticle, stikle, 6– stickle.
[app. identical with the earlier stightle v., to set in order.
For the phonology cf. pickle as a variant of pightle.]
† 1. intr. a. To act as an official regulator of a tournament, wrestling match, or the like, in order to ensure fair play. b. Hence, to act as a mediator or umpire, to interpose or intervene (between or among combatants or contending parties). Obs.
| 1530 Palsgr. 736/1, I styckyll betwene wrastellers, or any folkes that prove mastries to se that none do other wronge. 1598 Dallington Meth. Trav. I 4 b, The..Great Prouost..of the Kings house... His Office is to stickle among the Seruants, Pages, Lacqueis, and Filles de ioye.., and to punish all offences in these people. 1613 Heywood Silver Age K 2, Stay and forbeare your vp-roare, till our club Stickle amongst you. a 1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary iii. v, There had been bloud-shed, if I had not stickled. 1692 Dryden Juvenal Ded. (1697) p. xvii, The same Angel..when half of the Christians are already kill'd..stickles betwixt the Remainders of God's Host, and the Race of Fiends. |
† 2. trans. To compose (a dispute, disputants); to stop, quell (a strife or contest). Also with forth. Obs.
| 1577 Googe Heresbach's Husb. iv. (1586) 181 b, Their fights, whether it be among themselues, or one Hiue with an other, are easely stickled. 1578 Bible (Genev.) Almanacke, 25 June, note, As on this day, was the conflict at Mersbrough, betweene the Emperour Henrie the fourth, and Rodolfe duke of Sueuia, stickled forth by the Pope, Anno. 1080. 1600 Holland Livy vii. xiv. 258 So as now they had growne to a full skirmish and battaile indeed, had not the Centurions speedily stickled them, and ended the fray. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. xi. 428 Heere, Weever..to the Muse refers The hearing of the cause, to stickle all these stirs. 1630 ― Muses Eliz. Nimphall vi. 36 Betwixt which three a question grew, Who should the worthiest be, Which violently they pursue, Nor stickled would they be. |
† 3. intr. To be busy, stirring, or energetic; to strive or contend pertinaciously; to take an active part (in a cause, affair). Obs.
| 1566 Drant Hor. Sat. i. i. A ij b, She [the ant] stickleth, and bestirres her selfe, She huswyfes it right well. 1570 Levins Manip. 122/4 To stickle in a matter, contendere, litigare. 1630 Sanderson 21 Serm. (1681) 254 Oh how we can stickle in our own causes! 1655 Baily's Life Bp. Fisher xvi. 119 My Lord of Rochester was the onely man that most stickled in this businesse. 1663 Butler Hud. i. ii. 437 Or Argument, in which b'ing valiant, He us'd to lay about and stickle, Like Ram or Bull, at Conventicle. 1690 Dryden Amphitryon i. i, Nay the very Goddesses wou'd stickle in the cause of Love. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Stickle hard in a Business, to strive earnestly about it. |
† b. To strive or endeavour to (do something).
| 1613 Crt. & Times Jas. I (1849) I. 277 The Lord Coke doth so stickle and fence by all the means he can make not to remove. 1658–9 in Burton's Diary (1828) IV. 234 'Tis apparent, how hard they stickle to impeade all. 1680 H. More Apocal. Apoc. 119 The Devil..will stickle to do as much mischief as he can among you. 1683 Lond. Gaz. No. 1835/2 And for that end in all Elections they stickled to Chuse the most disaffected into Offices of the greatest Trust in the Government. 1727 Swift Let. to Sheridan 13 May, I hear no news about your bishops, farther than that the lord lieutenant stickles to have them of Ireland. 1732 Fielding Miser ii. i, The broker was forced to stickle hard to get such good ones. |
† c. To contend or strive, meddle or interfere with (a person, etc.). Obs.
| 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. lix. 179 The Pope having lately been blooded against a braue Emperour, made the lesse difficulty to stickle with a valiant King. 1664 Butler Hud. ii. ii. Argt., The Knight and Squire in hot Dispute..Are parted with a sudden fright Of strange Alarm, and stranger Sight; With which adventuring to stickle, They're sent away in nasty pickle. |
† d. To contend against. Obs.
| 1659 Heylin Exam. Hist. i. 7 Our Author doth as mainly stickle against it. 1678 Trans. Crt. Spain 122 He stickled not against those [taxes] that were raised for the repairing of the Palace of Germany. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. iii. 76 This also the Roman Prelates in the House did tooth and nail stickle against. |
† e. With dependent clause: To contend or maintain that; to dispute which. Obs.
| a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Yorks. (1662) 208 Although the Scotch Historians stickle with might and maine, that such Homage was performed onely for the County of Cumberland. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. ii. 518 The Cause is in the lurch Between a right and mungrel Church, The Presbyter and Independent, That stickle which shall make an end on't. |
4. stickle for —. a. To strive or contend for (a desired object, an issue, principle, etc.).
| 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. iii. xx. 208 Pride..makes men stickle for their opinions to make them fundamentall. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. lxvi. 226 They had courage enough..to stickle both with King and people for their own liberties. a 1680 Glanvill Sadducismus i. (1682) 150 Those that so stickle and sweat for the proving their Opinion. 1728 Morgan Algiers I. iv. 93 Without any of those mighty advantages so sanguinely stickled for by each Pretender to a Superiority in Purity of Morals. 1869 Goulburn Purs. Holiness x. 95 Stickling for the letter while the spirit is disregarded. 1901 Rashdall & Rait New College 207 Scholars will no longer stickle for his [Lowth's] view that Hebrew was the language spoken in Paradise. 1905 Athenæum 10 June 713/3 The plot..will..please those who stickle for happy endings. |
† b. To take the part of, stand up for, contend on behalf of (a person). Also with up. Obs.
| 1652 Heylyn Cosmogr. i. 41 If Servilius and others..had not stickled hard for him with the Souldiers. 1663 Butler Hud. i. iii. 516 When Fortune (as she's wont) turn'd fickle And for the foe began to stickle. 1719 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. III. 72 He was Mr. Penn's stiff Friend and had stickl'd for him tho' to no effect. 1703 S. Centlivre Love's Contriv. iv. ii. 41 Come, come, Cousin, we never stickle up for the Person we don't care for. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1768) V. xiv. 152 The Widow Bevis indeed stickled hard for me. |
5. To make difficulties, raise objections, haggle (about); to be tardy in giving one's acceptance or compliance; to hesitate, scruple, take offence (at). (? Partly arising from confusion with stick.)
| 1819 Keats Otho iv. i. 103 Albert! he cannot stickle, chew the cud In such a fine extreme,—impossible! 1829 I. Taylor Enthus. x. 306 An exaggerated notion of the right and duty of Christians to stickle upon their individual opinions. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. II. iv. v, Flying for life, one does not stickle about his vehicle. 1851 Gladstone in Morley Life iii. vii. (1903) I. 406 He came back with a fresh message to go at once, and hear what Stanley had to say. I did not like to stickle, and went. 1877 C. M. Yonge Cameos III. 148 He did not stickle at Edward calling himself King of France and England. 1879 Farrar St. Paul I. xxii. 417 His soul was too large to stickle about matters of no moment. |
b. To scruple or hesitate to (do something). (? A pseudo-archaism. Cf. 3 b and stick v.1 15.)
| 1840 Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. i. Leech of Folkestone, Some..stickle not to aver that you are cater-cousin with Beelzebub himself. |
Hence ˈstickling vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1611 Cotgr., Interposition,..an intermedling in, or stickling of, controuersies. 1658 W. Gurnall Chr. in Armour ii. 43 A busie stickling and ambitious disputing about truth. 1679 Establ. Test 25 Several stickling Itinerant Teachers. 1682 H. More Annot. Glanvil's Lux Or. 153 Some stickling imbittered Grandees of the Church. 1710 Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) II. 348 Lancaster's stickling for Sir Thomas is a plain Confirmation of it. 1848 Bartlett Dict. Amer. 333 Stickling hesitating; delaying. |