Stark /(stärk)/

Stark

a.
  1. Stiff; rigid.
    Whose senses all were straight benumbed and stark.
    His heart gan wax as stark as marble stone.
    Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies.
    The north is not so stark and cold.
  2. Complete; absolute; full; perfect; entire. [Obs.]
    Consider the stark security The common wealth is in now.
  3. Strong; vigorous; powerful.
    A stark, moss-trooping Scot.
    Stark beer, boy, stout and strong beer.
  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.

Stark

adv.
  1. Wholly; entirely; absolutely; quite; as, stark mad.
    Held him strangled in his arms till he was stark dead.
    Strip your sword stark naked.

Phrases & Compounds

Stark naked
wholly naked; quite bare.

Stark

v. t.
  1. To stiffen. [R.]
    If horror have not starked your limbs.