stamina

Origin:
1640–50; < Latin stāmen warp in upright loom, thread, filament, equivalent to stā(re) to stand + -men noun suffix; akin to Greek stḗmōn warp, Sanskrit sthāman place

Related forms

sta·mened, adjective

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

stamen (ˈsteɪmɛn)

—n , pl stamens, stamina
	the male reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of a stalk (filament) bearing an anther in which pollen is produced

[C17: from Latin: the warp in an upright loom, from stāre to stand]

staminal

—*adj*

staminiferous

—*adj*

stamina¹ (ˈstæmɪnə)

—n
	enduring energy, strength, and resilience

[C19: identical with stamina² from Latin stāmen thread, hence the threads of life spun out by the Fates, hence energy, etc]

'staminal¹

—*adj*

stamina² (ˈstæmɪnə)

—n
	a plural of stamen

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

stamen

"pollen-bearing organ of a flower," 1668, from Mod.L. (1625, Spigelus), from L. stamen "stamen" (Pliny), lit. "thread of the warp" in the upright loom (related to stare "to stand"), from PIE *sta-men- (cf. Gk. stemon "warp," also used by Hesychius for some part of a plant, Goth. stoma, Skt. sthaman

"place," also "strength"), from base *sta- "to stand" (see stet).

stamina

1676, "rudiments or original elements of something," from L. stamina "threads," pl. of stamen (gen. staminis) "thread, warp" (see stamen). Sense of "power to resist or recover, strength, endurance" first recorded 1726 (originally pl.), from earlier meaning "congenital vital

capacities of a person or animal," also in part from L. application to the threads spun by the Fates to determine the length and course of one's life, and partly from a fig. use of L. stamen "the warp (of cloth)" on the notion of the warp as the "foundation" of a fabric.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

stamen

(stā'mən) Pronunciation Key
Plural stamens or stamina (stā'mə-nə, stām'ə-)
The male reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of a filament and a pollen-bearing anther at its tip. See more at anther , flower.

American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

stamen [(stay-muhn)]

The organ of a flower on which the pollen grows.

Example sentences

Out in the hot, dusty desert, these wild horses develop incredible strength and

stamina.

Helps people with chronic, disabling conditions improve their stamina and

muscle strength.

Can help people with chronic, disabling conditions improve their stamina and

muscle strength.

Exercise is important to maintain weight and also reduce physical limitation,

improve stamina and flexibility and to feel good.

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hunter inequality John Henry lacking nerve recharge

Matching Quote

"I had been curiously depressed all day. In the night I wakened. First precise thought: I know why I'm depressed—nothing inspired is going on. Second: I demand that life be inspired every moment. Third: the only way to guarantee this is to have inspired conversation every moment. Fourth: most people never get so far as conversation; they haven't the stamina, and there is no time. Fifth: if I had a magazine I could spend my time filling it up with the best conversation the world has to offer. Sixth: marvelous idea—salvation. Seventh: decision to do it. Deep sleep."

-Margaret Anderson