stalkily

English

WOTD – 18 February 2020

Etymology

From stalky +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈstɔːkɪli/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈstɔkɪli/
• Hyphenation: stalk‧i‧ly

Adverb

stalkily (not comparable)

1. In a stalky manner.
   1. Like, or as if made up of, one or several stalks or sticks; with a tall and thin appearance; lankily.
      • 1879 May 14, “Grappling the Grosvenor”, in Fun, volume XXIX, number 731, London: Published (for the proprietors) by T. Moffitt, […], →OCLC, page 203, column 2:

        Oh, can it be their weariness that makes them lounge so stalkily, / And wear their flesh so flaccidly, and granulate, and chalkily?

      • 1945, Dan Wickenden, The Wayfarers, New York, N.Y.: William Morrow and Company, →OCLC, page 46:

        The conductor emerged from the wings, tall and lean in his tailcoat, and moved stalkily across the platform; applause began in the front rows and worked its way back gradually to the far reaches of the hall, where people were talking in a sudden frenzy, as if they had a great deal to get said before silence was enjoined upon them.

      • 1996, Lawrence Norfolk, The Pope’s Rhinoceros, London: Sinclair-Stevenson, →ISBN; republished London: Vintage, 1998, →ISBN, page 414:

        Little stands of trees stand in stooks, stalkily bundled and clumped by giants.

   2. As if covertly following or hunting a person; sneakily, surreptitiously.
      • 1898 December, Rudyard Kipling, “Stalky”, in The Windsor Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women, volume IX, London: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited […], →OCLC, page 30, column 2:

        There's no sense in not doin' a thing stalkily while you're about it.

      • 1992, Mairi Hedderwick, Highland Journey: A Sketching Tour of Scotland: Retracing the Steps of Victorian Artist John T. Reid, Edinburgh: Canongate Press, →ISBN, page 13:

        But the journey went on. Slower as the river became more intimate; reeds at the edge almost within touching distance. Waterfowl. A heron stalkily still. Dank lank growth and then the smells of intensive farming.

      • 2003 August 7, Michael Dibdin, chapter IV, in Medusa (An Aurelio Zen Mystery), London: Faber and Faber, →ISBN; republished New York, N.Y.: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, February 2005, →ISBN, page 39:

        'Now we must be careful,' announced Anton in his stalkily precise Italian.

Related terms

• stalk
• stalker
• stalkiness
• stalking (noun)
• stalky

 

Translations

in a stalky manner