STIVES

Etymology

Noun

stives pl (plural only)

(obsolete) stews; a brothel

Source: Wiktionary

Stives, n. pl. Etym: [OE. See Stew.]

Definition: Stews; a brothel. [Obs.] Chaucer.

STIVE

Stive, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stived; p. pr. & vb. n. Stiving.] Etym: [Probably fr. F. estiver to compress, stow, L. stipare: cf. It. stivare, Sp. estivar. Cf. Stevedore, Stiff.]

Definition: To stuff; to crowd; to fill full; hence, to make hot and close; to render stifling. Sandys. His chamber was commonly stived with friends or suitors of one kind or other. Sir H. Wotton.

Stive, v. i.

Definition: To be stifled or suffocated.

Stive, n.

Definition: The floating dust in flour mills caused by the operation or grinding. De Colange.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition