sticks
/stɪks/ IELTSAcademic
noun
- 1.
Thin pieces of wood from trees. People also use the word for a hard, straight piece of something similar.
- He gathered sticks for the fire.
- The child drew a house with sticks.
- 2.
A pair of handheld rods used in sports, music, or work. It can also mean the equipment used to hit or control something.
- The drummer held the sticks tightly.
- He skied with short sticks.
verb
Third-person singular present of stick. It means stays in place, holds on, or remains attached.
- The label sticks well on glass.
- This rule sticks in my mind.
Adinary Nuance
sticks is often more concrete than wood or branch. Use sticks for small, thin pieces, especially for fire, crafts, or simple objects. In the verb form, it is not a separate word meaning; it is just the third-person form of stick.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- que
- Spanish
- palos
- Chinese
- 木棍
- Japanese
- 棒
- Korean
- 막대기
Etymology
Sticks is the plural of stick, from Old English sticca, meaning a rod or piece of wood. The verb use developed later from the idea of something holding fast.
Common phrases
sticks of woodsticks and stonesdrum stickschopsticks
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is sticks a countable noun?
- Yes. The singular is stick, and the plural is sticks.
- What is the difference between sticks and twigs?
- Twigs are usually smaller and thinner than sticks.
- Can sticks be used in academic writing?
- Yes, but only when the object is actually a stick or thin piece of wood.
- Is sticks also a verb?
- Yes. It can be the third-person form of stick, as in "It sticks."