STAW
Etymology
Verb
staw (third-person singular simple present staws, present participle stawing, simple past and past participle stawed)
(UK, dialect, intransitive) To be fixed or set; to stay.
Anagrams
• 'twas, ATWS, AWTs, S.W.A.T., SWAT, Swat, TAWS, TWAs, WSTA, sawt, swat, taws, was't, wast, wats
Source: Wiktionary
Staw, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Dan. staae to stand, Sw. stå. *163.]
Definition: To be fixed or set; to stay. [Prov. Eng.]
STEAL
Steal, n. Etym: [See Stale a handle.]
Definition: A handle; a stale, or stele. [Archaic or Prov. Eng.]
And in his hand a huge poleax did bear. Whose steale was iron-studded
but not long. Spenser.
Steal, v. t. [imp. Stole; p. p. Stolen; p. pr. & vb. n. Stealing.]
Etym: [OE. stelen, AS. stelan; akin to OFries. stela, D. stelen, OHG.
stelan, G. stehlen, Icel. stela, SW. stjäla, Dan. stiæle, Goth.
stilan.]
1. To take and carry away, feloniously; to take without right or
leave, and with intent to keep wrongfully; as, to steal the personal
goods of another.
Maugre thy heed, thou must for indigence Or steal, or borrow, thy
dispense. Chaucer.
The man who stole a goose and gave away the giblets in G. Eliot.
2. To withdraw or convey clandestinely (reflexive); hence, to creep
furtively, or to insinuate.
They could insinuate and steal themselves under the same by their
humble carriage and submission. Spenser.
He will steal himself into a man's favor. Shak.
3. To gain by insinuating arts or covert means.
So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Sam. xv. 6.
4. To get into one's power gradually and by imperceptible degrees; to
take possession of by a gradual and imperceptible appropriation; --
with away.
Variety of objects has a tendency to steal away the mind from its
steady pursuit of any subject. I. Watts.
5. To accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner; to try to carry
out secretly; as, to steal a look.
Always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it
plainly, . . . and do not think to steal it. Bacon.
To steal a march, to march in a covert way; to gain an advantage
unobserved; -- formerly followed by of, but now by on or upon, and
sometimes by over; as, to steal a march upon one's political rivals.
She yesterday wanted to steal a march of poor Liddy. Smollett.
Fifty thousand men can not easily steal a march over the sea.
Walpole.
Syn.
– To filch; pilfer; purloin; thieve.
Steal, v. i.
1. To practice, or be guilty of, theft; to commit larceny or theft.
Thou shalt not steal. Ex. xx. 15.
2. To withdraw, or pass privily; to slip in, along, or away,
unperceived; to go or come furtively. Chaucer.
Fixed of mind to avoid further entreaty, and to fly all company, one
night she stole away. Sir P. Sidney.
From whom you now must steal, and take no leave. Shak.
A soft and solemn breathing sound Rose like a steam of rich,
distilled perfumes, And stole upon the air. Milton.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition