01 a. Stiff; rigid.
-
1.
Stiff; rigid.“Whose senses all were straight benumbed and stark.” — Spenser.“His heart gan wax as stark as marble stone.” — Spenser.“Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies.” — Shak.“The north is not so stark and cold.” — B. Jonson.
-
2.
Complete; absolute; full; perfect; entire.[Obs.]“Consider the stark security The common wealth is in now.” — B. Jonson.
-
3.
Strong; vigorous; powerful.“A stark, moss-trooping Scot.” — Sir W. Scott.“Stark beer, boy, stout and strong beer.” — Beau. & Fl.
-
4.
Severe; violent; fierce.[Obs.]
-
5.
Mere; sheer; gross; entire; downright.“He pronounces the citation stark nonsense.” — Collier.“Rhetoric is very good or stark naught; there's no medium in rhetoric.” — Selden.