Meaning

4 senses
  1. A vessel made of clay or stone; a pot of stone or earth.

  2. A wall of brick, stone, or cement, used as a lining, as of a well, cistern, etc.; a steening.

  3. (UK, dialectal)A stone.

  4. (UK, dialectal)A large box of stones used for pressing cheese; a cheese-press.

Origin

From Middle English stene (“waterpot”), from Old English stǣna (“stone jug, a stean, a pot

From Middle English stene (“waterpot”), from Old English stǣna (“stone jug, a stean, a pot of stone or earth”) and Old English stǣne (“pitcher, jug”), from Proto-West Germanic *stainijā, from Proto-Germanic *stainijǭ (“stonen vessel, crucible”). Cognate with Old High German steinna (“pot, saucepan”). Doublet of stein.

From Middle English stenen, from Old English stǣnan (“to stone, cast stones at; adorn with precious stones”), from Proto-West Germanic *stainijan, from Proto-Germanic *stainijaną (“to adorn with stones”), *stainōną (“to throw stones at”). Cognate with Old High German steinen (“to adorn with stones”), Old High German steinōn (“to throw stones”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (stainjan, “to throw stones at”).

Inherited from Northern Middle English stan, stane (“stone”); thus a dialectal form of stone.

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Forms

plural: steans

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
stean — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto