Stound
/staʊnd/noun
A brief, intense fit of pain, emotion, or distress; also, an instant or moment.
Did you know?In Middle English, stound could mean both a sharp emotional pang and a moment in time, showing how early speakers treated time as something you could physically feel.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sta-
“to stand, make firm, be set”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*standaną
“to stand”
Old English
OE
stund
“a time, point in time; a while”
Middle English
ME
stounde
“a moment; a sudden pang, fit, or blow”
Modern English
English
stound
“a brief, sharp fit of pain or distress; an instant”