Stag
/stæɡ/noun
An adult male deer, especially one with antlers; also, a male animal of some other species.
Did you know?The deer sense of *stag* is old Germanic, and the word likely connects to a root meaning “to be stiff or stand out,” which fits antlers perfectly.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steg-
“to be stiff, rigid, or stand out”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stagaz
“male deer, stag”
Old English
OE
stæġ
“male deer”
Middle English
ME
stag
“male deer; later, an uncastrated male animal”
Modern English
English
stag
“an adult male deer; by extension, a male animal of certain species”