Stark

Stark (stärk), a. [Compar. Starker; superl. Starkest.] [OE. stark stiff, strong, AS. stearc; akin to OS. starc strong, D. sterk, OHG. starc, starah, G. & Sw. stark, Dan. stærk, Icel. sterkr, Goth. gastaúrknan to become dried up, Lith. strëgti to stiffen, to freeze. Cf. Starch, a. & n.] 1. Stiff; rigid. Chaucer.

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.] "In starke stours." [i. e., in fierce combats]. Chaucer.

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 (stärk), adv. Wholly; entirely; absolutely; quite; as, stark mind. Shak.

Held him strangled in his arms till he was stark dead. Fuller.

Stark naked, wholly naked; quite bare.

Strip your sword stark naked. Shak.

☞ According to Professor Skeat, "stark-naked" is derived from steort-naked, or start-naked, literally tail-naked, and hence wholly naked. If this etymology be true the preferable form is stark-naked.

Stark, v. t. To stiffen. [R.]

If horror have not starked your limbs. H. Taylor.